GIFT OF
A. F. Morrison
DOGS
AND ALL ABOUT THEM
BY
ROBERT LEIGHTON
II
ASSISTED BY
EMINENT AUTHORITIES ON THE
VARIOUS BREEDS
WITH SEVENTEEN FULL-PAGE PLATES
CASSELL AND COMPANY, LTD.
London, New York, Toronto and Melbourne
1910
GIFT 01"
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
PREFACE
THE popularity of the dog as a companion, as a
guardian of property, as an assistant in the pursuit of
game, and as the object of a pleasurable hobby, has
never been so great as it is at the present time. More
dogs are kept in this country than ever there formerly
were, and they are more skilfully bred, more tenderly
treated, and cared for with a more solicitous pride than
was the case a generation ago. There are fewer mongrels
in our midst, and the family dog has become a respect-
able member of society. Two million dog licences were
taken out in the British Isles in the course of 1909. In
that year, too, as many as 906 separate dog shows were
sanctioned by the Kennel Club and held in various parts
of the United Kingdom. At the present time there exist
no fewer than 156 specialist clubs established for the
purpose of watching over the interests of the different
breeds.
Recognising this advance in our national love of dogs
and the growing demand for information on their distin-
guishing characteristics, I am persuaded that there is
ample room for a concise and practical handbook on
matters canine. In preparing the present volume, I have
drawn abundantly upon the contents of my larger and
more expensive New Book of The Dog, and I desire to
acknowledge my obligations to the eminent experts who
assisted me in the production of the earlier work and
whose contributions I have further utilised in these pages.
I am indebted to Mr. W. J. Stubbs for his clear exposition
of the points of the Bulldog, to Colonel Claude Cane for
iii
M107SG7
iv PREFACE
his description of the Sporting Spaniels, to Lady Algernon
Gordon Lennox for her authoritative paragraphs on the
Pekinese, to Mr. Desmond O'Connell for his history of the
Fox-terrier, and to Mr. Walter S. Glynn, Mr. Fred Gresham,
Major J. H. Bailey, Mr. E. B. Joachim and other specialists
whose aid I have enlisted.
In the following chapters the varieties of the dog are
classified in the order of (i) Non-Sporting and Utility
breeds, (2) Hounds, Gundogs and other Sporting breeds,
(3) the Terriers, (4) Toy and Miniature breeds.
ROBERT LEIGHTON.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
1. GENERAL HISTORY OF THE DOG . . . . i
2. THE ENGLISH MASTIFF 10
3. THE BULLDOG . . . . ... . 17
4. THE ST. BERNARD . . . / . . 32
5. THE NEWFOUNDLAND . . . .* . .38
6. THE GREAT DANE. . . . . . . 44
7. THE DALMATIAN ... » . . . 49
8. THE COLLIE . . . . . . . . 53
9. THE OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOG ./ . . . 60
10. THE CHOW CHOW . . . . . - . . 67
11. THE POODLE 70
12. THE SCHIPPERKE 77
13. THE BLOODHOUND . . . . . . 80
14. THE OTTERHOUND . . . . . . 86
15. THE IRISH WOLFHOUND . ... . 90
16. THE DEERHOUND 95
17. THE BORZOI, OR RUSSIAN WOLFHOUND . . 101
18. THE GREYHOUND . . . . . , 108
19. THE WHIPPET . . .' . . . . 113
20. THE FOXHOUND . . . . . . . 118
21. THE HARRIER AND THE BEAGLE .... 123
22. THE POINTER 127
23. THE SETTERS 132
24. THE RETRIEVERS 139
25. THE SPORTING SPANIEL 148
26. THE BASSET-HOUND 172
vi CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
27. THE DACHSHUND 176
28. THE OLD WORKING TERRIER .... 185
29. THE WHITE ENGLISH TERRIER .... 191
30. THE BLACK AND TAN TERRIER .... 195
31. THE BULL-TERRIER ... . . . . . 198
32. THE SMOOTH FOX-TERRIER . . . 203
33. THE WIRE-HAIR FOX-TERRIER . . . 212
34. THE AIREDALE TERRIER . .' . . . 219
35. THE BEDLINGTON TERRIER . .' . . . 226
36. THE IRISH TERRIER . . . . . . 229
37. THE WELSH TERRIER . . . . . . 236
38. THE SCOTTISH TERRIER . . . . . 240
39. THE WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIER . . 246
40. THE DANDIE DINMONT 253
41. THE SKYE AND CLYDESDALE TERRIERS . . 258
42. THE YORKSHIRE TERRIER 266
43. THE POMERANIAN 271
44. THE KING CHARLES SPANIELS .... 278
45. THE PEKINESE AND JAPANESE .... 288
46. THE MALTESE DOG AND THE PUG . . . 296
47. THE BRUSSELS GRIFFON 301
48. THE MINIATURE BREEDS 305
49. PRACTICAL MANAGEMENT . . ... . 310
50. BREEDING AND WHELPING 316
51. SOME COMMON AILMENTS OF THE DOG AND THEIR
TREATMENT 325.
52. THE DOG AND THE LAW 337
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
THE SMOOTH- COATED ST. BERNARD, CH. THE VIKING
(From the painting by Lilian Cheviot.) Frontispiece
FACING PAGE
MR. AND MRS. ARTHUR MAYOR'S BULLDOG, CH. SILENT
DUCHESS v 26
MR. GEORGE SINCLAIR'S ST. BERNARD, CH. LORD
MONTGOMERY ...; ' 36
MRS. VALE NICOLAS'S NEWFOUNDLAND, CH. SHELTON
VIKING 42
MRS. H. HORSFALL'S GREAT DANE, CH. VIOLA OF
REDGRAVE .,. ' ».. ... •„.."' ... ... ... 48
MR. R. A. TAIT'S COLLIE, CH. WISHAW LEADER ... 58
BLOODHOUND, CH. CHATLEY BEAUFORT. BRED AND OWNED
BY MRS. G. A. OLIPHANT, SHKEWTON, WILTS. ... 80
MRS. ARMSTRONG'S DEERHOUND, CH. TALISMAN 96
MRS. AITCHESON'S BORZOI, CH. STRAWBERRY KING ... 106
MR. H. REGINALD COOKE'S RETRIEVER, CH. WORSLEY
BESS 142
THREE GENERATIONS OF MR. R. DE C. PEELE'S BLUE ROAN
COCKER SPANIELS, CH. BEN BOWDLER (FATHER), CH.
BOB BOWDLER (SON), AND CH. DIXON BOWDLER
(GRANDSON) 168
FOX-TERRIERS:
1. MRS. J. H. BROWN'S, CH. CAPTAIN DOUBLE ... 208
2. MR. J. C. TINNE'S, CH. THE SYLPH 208
3. MR. T. J. STEPHEN'S WIRE-HAIR, CH. SYLVAN
RESULT 208
MR. FRED. W. BREAKELL'S IRISH TERRIER, CH. KILLARNEY
SPORT 234
MRS. SPENCER'S DANDIE DINMONT, CH. BRAW LAD ... 240
ATYPICAL AIREDALE HEAD 240
MR. W. L. MCCANDLISH'S SCOTTISH TERRIER, EMS
COSMETIC 240
vii
viii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
FACING PAGE
COL, MALCOLM'S WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIERS
SONNY AND SARAH ... ... ... ... ... 252
MlSS E. McCHEANE's SiCYE TERRIERS, CH. FAIRFIELD
DIAMOND AND CH. WOLVERLEY CHUMMIE ... ..«, 252
TOY DOGS:
Miss STEVENS' TYPICAL JAPANESE PUPPY 288
MRS. VALE NICOLAS'S POMERANIAN, CH. THE SABLE
MITE 288
Miss M. A. ELAND'S POMERANIAN, CH. MARLAND KING 288
LADY HULTON'S BLENHEIM, CH. JOY ... ,.,.. ... 288
THE HON. MRS. LYTTON'S KING CHARLES, CH. THE
SERAPH 288
TOY DOGS :
1. MRS. GRESHAM'S PUG, CH. GRINDLEY KING ..f 304
2. MRS. T. WHALEY'S BRUSSELS GRIFFON, GLENARTNEY
SPORT 304
3. PEKINESE, CH. CHU-ERH OF ALDERBOURNE ... 304
DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
CHAPTER I
GENERAL HISTORY OF THE DOG
THERE is no incongruity in the idea that in the very earliest
period of man's habitation of this world he made a friend
and companion of some sort of aboriginal representative
of our modern dog, and that in return for its aid in protecting
him from wilder animals, and in guarding his sheep and
goats, he gave it a share of his food, a corner in his dwelling,
and grew to trust it and care for it. Probably the animal
was originally little else than an unusually gentle jackal,
or an ailing wolf driven by its companions from the wild
marauding pack to seek shelter in alien surroundings. One
can well conceive the possibility of the partnership beginning
in the circumstance of some helpless whelps being brought
home by the early hunters to be tended and reared by the
women and children. The present-day savage of New Guinea
and mid-Africa does not, as a rule, take the trouble to tame
and train an adult wild animal for his own purposes, and primi-
tive man was surely equally indifferent to the questionable
advantage of harbouring a dangerous guest. But a litter
of woolly whelps introduced into the home as playthings
for the children would grow to regard themselves, and be
regarded, as members of the family, and it would soon be
found that the hunting instincts of the maturing animal
were of value to his captors. The savage master, treading
the primeval forests in search of food, would not fail to recog-
nise the helpfulness of a keener nose and sharper eyes even
than his own unsullied senses, while the dog in his turn would
B
2... ...DOGS. AND ALL ABOUT THEM
find* a" 'better sheltef-m association with man than if he were
fr 'hferovta. •account. Thus mutual benefit would
Jrt some kind.'ofc <acit agreement of partnership, and
through the generations the wild wolf or jackal would gradu-
ally become gentler, more docile, and tractable, and the
dreaded enemy of the flock develop into the trusted guardian
of the fold.
In nearly all parts of the world traces of an indigenous
dog family are found, the only exceptions being the West
Indian Islands, Madagascar, the eastern islands of the Malayan
Archipelago, New Zealand, and the Polynesian Islands, where
there is no sign that any dog, wolf, or fox has existed as a
true aboriginal animal. In the ancient Oriental lands, and
generally among the early Mongolians, the dog remained
savage and neglected for centuries, prowling in packs, gaunt
and wolf-like, as it prowls to-day through the streets and
under the walls of every Eastern city. No attempt was made
to allure it into human companionship or to improve it into
docility. It is not until we come to examine the records
of the higher civilisations of Assyria and Egypt that we
discover any distinct varieties of canine form.
Assyrian sculptures depict two such, a Greyhound and a
Mastiff, the latter described in the tablets as " the chained-up,
mouth-opening dog " ; that is to say, it was used as a watch-
dog ; and several varieties are referred to in the cuneiform
inscriptions preserved in the British Museum. The Egyptian
monuments of about 3000 B.C. present many forms of the
domestic dog, and there can be no doubt that among the
ancient Egyptians it was as completely a companion of man,
as much a favourite in the house, and a help in the chase,
as it is among ourselves at present. In the city of Cynopolis
it was reverenced next to the sacred jackal, and on the death
of a dog the members of the household to which he had
belonged carefully shaved their whole bodies, and religiously
abstained from using the food, of whatever kind, which
happened to be in the house at the time. Among the distinct
GENERAL HISTORY 3
breeds kept in Egypt there was a massive wolf-dog, a large,
heavily-built hound with drooping ears and a pointed head,
at least two varieties of Greyhound used for hunting the
gazelle, and a small breed of terrier or Turnspit, with short,
crooked legs. This last appears to have been regarded as an
especial household pet, for it was admitted into the living
rooms and taken as a companion for walks out of doors. It
was furnished with a collar of leaves, or of leather, or precious
metal wrought into the form of leaves, and when it died
it was embalmed. Every town throughout Egypt had its
place of interment for canine mummies.
The dog was not greatly appreciated in Palestine, and in
both the Old and New Testaments it is commonly spoken of
with scorn and contempt as an "unclean beast." Even the
familiar reference to the Sheepdog in the Book of Job—
" But now they that are younger than I have me in derision,
whose fathers I would have disdained to set with the dogs of my
flock " — is not without a suggestion of contempt, and it is
significant that the only biblical allusion to the dog as a
recognised companion of man occurs in the apocryphal Book
of Tobit (v. 16), " So they went forth both, and the young man's
dog with them."
The pagan Greeks and Romans had a kindlier feeling for
dumb animals than had the Jews. Their hounds, like their
horses, were selected with discrimination, bred with care,
and held in high esteem, receiving pet names ; and the
literatures of Greece and Rome contain many tributes to the
courage, obedience, sagacity, and affectionate fidelity of the
dog. The Phoenicians, too, were unquestionably lovers
of the dog, quick to recognise the points of special breeds.
In their colony in Carthage, during the reign of Sardanapalus,
they had already possessed themselves of the Assyrian Mastiff,
which they probably exported to far-off Britain, as they are
said to have exported the Water Spaniel to Ireland and to
Spain.
It is a significant circumstance when we come to consider
4 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
the probable origin of the dog, that there are indications of
his domestication at such early periods by so many peoples
in different parts of the world. As we have seen, dogs were
more or less subjugated and tamed by primitive man, by the
Assyrians, Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans,
as also by the ancient barbaric tribes of the western hemi-
sphere. The important question now arises : Had all these
dogs a common origin in a definite parent stock, or did they
spring from separate and unrelated parents ?
Half a century ago it was believed that all the evidence
which could be brought to bear upon the problem pointed
to an independent origin of the dog. Youatt, writing in
1845, argued that " this power of tracing back the dog to the
very earliest periods of history, and the fact that he then
seemed to be as sagacious, as faithful, and as valuable as at
the present day, strongly favours the opinion that he was
descended from no inferior and comparatively worthless
animal ; and that he was not the progeny of the wolf, the
jackal, or the fox, but was originally created, somewhat as
we now find him, the associate and friend of man."
When Youatt wrote, most people believed that the world
was only six thousand years old, and that species were origin-
ally created and absolutely unchangeable. Lyell's dis-
coveries in geology, however, overthrew the argument of the
earth's chronology and of the antiquity of man, and Darwin's
theory of evolution entirely transformed the accepted beliefs
concerning the origin of species and the supposed invariability
of animal types.
The general superficial resemblance between the fox and
many of our dogs, might well excuse the belief in a relationship.
Gamekeepers are often very positive that a cross can be
obtained between a dog fox and a terrier bitch ; but cases
in which this connection is alleged must be accepted with
extreme caution. The late Mr. A. D. Bartlett, who was for
years the superintendent of the Zoological Gardens in London,
studied this question with minute care, and as a result of
GENERAL HISTORY 5
experiments and observations he }x>sitively affirmed that
he had never met with one well-authenticated instance of a
hybrid dog and fox. Mr. Bartlett's conclusions are incon-
testable. However much in appearance the supposed dog-fox
may resemble the fox, there are certain opposing characteris-
tics and structural differences which entirely dismiss the
theory of relationship.
One thing is certain, that foxes do not breed in confinement,
except in very rare instances. The silver fox of North America
is the only species recorded to have bred in the Zoological
Gardens of London ; the European fox has never been known
to breed in captivity. Then, again, the fox is not a sociable
animal. We never hear of foxes uniting in a pack, as do the
wolves, the jackals, and the wild dogs. Apart from other
considerations, a fox may be distinguished from a dog, without
being seen or touched, by its smell. No one can produce a
dog that has half the odour of Reynard, and this odour the
dog-fox would doubtless possess were its sire a fox-dog or its
dam a vixen.
Whatever may be said concerning the difference existing
between dogs and foxes will not hold good in reference to
dogs, wolves, and jackals. The wolf and the jackal are so
much alike that the only appreciable distinction is that of
size, and so closely do they resemble many dogs in general
appearance, structure, habits, instincts, and mental endow-
ments that no difficulty presents itself in regarding them as
being of one stock. Wolves and jackals can be, and have
repeatedly been, tamed. Domestic dogs can become, and
again and again do become, wild, even consorting with wolves,
interbreeding with them, assuming their gregarious habits,
and changing the characteristic bark into a dismal wolf-like
howl. The wolf and the jackal when tamed answer to their
master's call, wag their tails, lick his hands, crouch, jump
round him to be caressed, and throw themselves on their
backs in submission. When in high spirits they run round
in circles or in a figure of eight, with their tails between their
6 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
legs. Their howl becomes a business-like bark. They smell
at the tails of other dogs and void their urine sideways, and
lastly, like our domestic favourites, however refined and
gentlemanly in other respects, they cannot be broken of the
habit of rolling on carrion or on animals they have killed.
This last habit of the domestic dog is one of the surviving
traits of his wild ancestry, which, like his habits of burying
bones or superfluous food, and of turning round and round on
a carpet as if to make a nest for himself before lying down,
go far towards connecting him in direct relationship with
the wolf and the jackal.
The great multitude of different breeds of the dog and the
vast differences in their size, points, and general appearance
are facts which make it difficult to believe that they could
have had a common ancestry. One thinks of the difference
between the Mastiff and the Japanese Spaniel, the Deerhound
and the fashionable Pomeranian, the St. Bernard and the
Miniature Black and Tan Terrier, and is perplexed in con-
templating the possibility of their having descended from a
common progenitor. Yet the disparity is no greater than
that between the Shire horse and the Shetland pony, the
Shorthorn and the Kerry cattle, or the Patagonian and the
Pygmy ; and all dog breeders know how easy it is to produce
a variety in type and size by studied selection.
In order properly to understand this question it is necessary
first to consider the identity of structure in the wolf and the
dog. This identity of structure may best be studied in a
comparison of the osseous system, or skeletons, of the two
animals, which so closely resemble each other that their
transposition would not easily be detected.
The spine of the dog consists of seven vertebrae in the neck,
thirteen in the back, seven in the loins, three sacral vertebrae,
and twenty to twenty-two in the tail. In both the dog and
the wolf there are thirteen pairs of ribs, nine true and four
false. Each has forty-two teeth. They both have five front
and four hind toes, while outwardly the common wolf has
GENERAL HISTORY 7
so much the appearance of a large, bare-boned dog, that a
popular description of the one would serve for the other.
Nor are their habits different. The wolf's natural voice
is a loud howl, but when confined with dogs he will learn to
bark. Although he is carnivorous, he will also eat vegetables,
and when sickly he will nibble grass. In the chase, a pack of
wolves will divide into parties, one following the trail of the
quarry, the other endeavouring to intercept its retreat, exer-
cising a considerable amount of strategy, a trait which is
exhibited by many of our sporting dogs and terriers when
hunting in teams.
A further important point of resemblance between the
Canis lupus and the Canis familiaris lies in the fact that the
period of gestation in both species is sixty-three days. There
are from three to nine cubs in a wolf's litter, and these are
blind for twenty-one days. They are suckled for two months,
but at the end of that time they are able to eat half-digested
flesh disgorged for them by their dam — or even their sire.
We have seen that there is no authenticated instance of a
hybrid between the dog and the fox. This is not the case
with the dog and the wolf, or the dog and the jackal, all of
which can interbreed. Moreover, their offspring are fertile.
Pliny is the authority for the statement that the Gauls tied
their female dogs in the wood that they might cross with
wolves. The Eskimo dogs are not infrequently crossed
with the grey Arctic wolf, which they so much resemble, and
the Indians of America were accustomed to cross their half-
wild dogs with the coyote to impart greater boldness to the
breed. Tame dogs living in countries inhabited by the jackal
often betray the jackal strain in their litters, and there are
instances of men dwelling in lonely outposts of civilisation
being molested by wolves or jackals following upon the trail
of a bitch in season.
These facts lead one to refer to the familiar circumstance
that the native dogs of all regions approximate closely in size,
coloration, form, and habit to the native wolf of those regions.
8 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
Of this most important circumstance there are far too many
instances to allow of its being looked upon as a mere coinci-
dence. Sir John Richardson, writing in 1829, observed
that " the resemblance between the North American wolves
and the domestic dog of the Indians is so great that the size
and strength of the wolf seems to be the only difference. I
have more than once mistaken a band of wolves for the dogs
of a party of Indians ; and the howl of the animals of both
species is prolonged so exactly in the same key that even the
practised ear of the Indian fails at times to discriminate
between them."
As the Eskimo and Indian dogs resemble the North
American wolf, so the dog of the Hare Indians, a very different
breed, resembles the prairie wolf. Except in the matter of
barking, there is no difference whatever between the black
wolf-dog of the Indians of Florida and the wolves of the same
country. The same phenomenon is seen in many kinds of
European dogs. The Shepherd Dog of the plains of Hungary
is white or reddish-brown, has a sharp nose, short erect ears,
shaggy coat, and bushy tail, and so much resembles a wolf
that Mr. Paget, who gives the description, says he has known
a Hungarian mistake a wolf for one of his own dogs. Many
of the dogs of Russia, Lapland, and Finland are comparable
with the wolves of those countries. Some of the domestic
dogs of Egypt, both at the present day and in the condition of
mummies, are wolf-like in type, and the dogs of Nubia have
the closest relation to a wild species of the same region, which
is only a form of the common jackal. Dogs, it may again
be noted, cross with the jackal as well as with wolves, and this
is frequently the case in Africa, as, for example, in Bosjesmans,
where the dogs have a marked resemblance to the black-
backed jackal, which is a South African variety.
It has been suggested that the one incontrovertible argu-
ment against the lupine relationship of the dog is the fact that
all domestic dogs bark, while all wild Canidce express their
feelings only by howls. But the difficulty here is not so
GENERAL HISTORY 9
great as it seems, since we know that jackals, wild dogs, and
wolf pups reared by bitches readily acquire the habit. On
the other hand, domestic dogs allowed to run wild forget how
to bark, while there are some which have not yet learned so
to express themselves.
The presence or absence of the habit of barking cannot,
then, be regarded as an argument in deciding the question
concerning the origin of the dog. This stumbling block
consequently disappears, leaving us in the position of agreeing
with Darwin, whose final hypothesis was that "it is highly
probable that the domestic dogs of the world have descended
from two good species of wolf (C. lupus and C. latrans), and
from two or three other doubtful species of wolves — namely,
the European, Indian, and North African forms ; from at
least one or two South American canine species ; from several
races or species of jackal ; and perhaps from one or more
extinct species " ; and that the blood of these, in some
cases mingled together, flows in the veins of our domestic
breeds.
CHAPTER II
THE ENGLISH MASTIFF
OF the many different kinds of dogs now established as British,
not a few have had their origin in other lands, whence speci-
mens have been imported into this country, in course of time
to be so improved by selection that they have come to be
commonly accepted as native breeds. Some are protected
from the claim that they are indigenous by the fact that their
origin is indicated in their names. No one would pretend
that the St. Bernard or the Newfoundland, the Spaniel or the
Dalmatian, are of native breed. They are alien immigrants
whom we have naturalised, as we are naturalising the majestic
Great Dane, the decorative Borzoi, the alert Schipperke,
and the frowning Chow Chow, which are of such recent
introduction that they must still be regarded as half-acclima-
tised foreigners. But of the antiquity of the Mastiff there
can be no doubt. He is the oldest of our British dogs, culti-
vated in these islands for so many centuries that the only
difficulty concerning his history is that of tracing his descent,
and discovering the period when he was not familiarly known.
It is possible that the Mastiff owes his origin to some remote
ancestor of alien strain. The Assyrian kings possessed a large
dog of decided Mastiff type, and used it in the hunting of
lions. It is supposed by many students that the breed was
introduced into early Britain by the adventurous Phoenician
traders who, in the sixth century B.C., voyaged to the Scilly
Islands and Cornwall to barter their own commodities in ex-
change for the useful metals. Knowing the requirements
of their barbarian customers, these early merchants from
10
THE ENGLISH MASTIFF n
Tyre and Sidon are believed to have brought some of the
larger pugnaces, which would be readily accepted by the
Britons to supplant, or improve, their courageous but under-
sized fighting dogs.
In Anglo-Saxon times every two villeins were required
to maintain one of these dogs for the purpose of reducing the
number of wolves and other wild animals. This would
indicate that the Mastiff was recognised as a capable hunting
dog ; but at a later period his hunting instincts were not
highly esteemed, and he was not regarded as a peril to pre-
served game ; for in the reign of Henry III. the Forest Laws,
which prohibited the keeping of all other breeds by un-
privileged persons, permitted the Mastiff to come within the
precincts of a forest, imposing, however, the condition that
every such dog should have the claws of the fore-feet removed
close to the skin.
The name Mastiff was probably applied to any massively
built dog. It is not easy to trace the true breed amid the
various names which it owned. Molossus, Alan, Alaunt,
Tie-clog, Bandog (or Band-dog), were among the number.
The names Tie-dog and Bandog intimate that the Mastiff
was commonly kept for guard, but many were specially
trained for baiting bears, imported lions, and bulls.
There is constant record of the Mastiff having been kept
and carefully bred for many generations in certain old English
families. One of the oldest strains of Mastiffs was that kept
by Mr. Legh, of Lyme Hall, in Cheshire. They were large,
powerful dogs, and longer in muzzle than those which we
are now accustomed to see. Another old and valuable strain
was kept by the Duke of Devonshire at Chatsworth. It is
to these two strains that the dogs of the present day trace
back.
Mr. Woolmore's Crown Prince was one of the most celebrated
of Mastiffs. He was a fawn dog with a Dudley nose and light
eye, and was pale in muzzle, and whilst full credit must
be given to him for having sired many good Mastiffs, he must
12 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
be held responsible for the faults in many specimens of more
recent years. Unfortunately, he was indiscriminately bred
from, with the result that in a very short time breeders found
it impossible to find a Mastiff unrelated to him.
It is to be deplored that ever since his era there
has been a perceptible diminution in the number of good
examples of this fine old English breed, and that from being
an admired and fashionable dog the Mastiff has so declined
in popularity that few are to be seen either at exhibitions or
in breeders' kennels. At the Crystal Palace in 1871 there
were as many as sixty-three Mastiffs on show, forming a line
of benches two hundred yards long, and not a bad one among
them ; whereas at a dog show held twenty-five years later,
where more than twelve hundred dogs were entered, not a
single Mastiff was benched.
The difficulty of obtaining dogs of unblemished pedigree
and superlative type may partly account for this decline,
and another reason of unpopularity may be that the Mastiff
requires so much attention to keep him in condition that
without it he is apt to become indolent and heavy. Never-
theless, the mischief of breeding too continuously from one
strain such as that of Crown Prince has to some extent been
eradicated, and we have had many splendid Mastiffs since
his time. Special mention should be made of that grand
bitch Cambrian Princess, by Beau. She was purchased by
Mrs. Willins, who, mating her with Maximilian (a dog of her
own breeding by The Emperor), obtained Minting, who
shared with Mr. Sidney Turner's Beaufort the reputation of
being unapproached for all round merit in any period.
The following description of a perfect Mastiff, taken from
the Old English Mastiff Club's Points of a Mastiff, is
admirable as a standard to which future breeders should
aim to attain.
POINTS OF THE MASTIFF : General Character and Symmetry-
Large, massive, powerful, symmetrical and well-knit frame. A com-
bination of grandeur and good nature, courage and docility. General
THE ENGLISH MASTIFF 13
Description of Head — In general outline, giving a square appearance
when viewed from any point. Breadth greatly to be desired, and
should be in ratio to length of the whole head and face as 2 to 3. General
Description of Body — Massive, broad, deep, long, powerfully built, on
legs wide apart, and squarely set. Muscles sharply defined. Size a
great desideratum, if combined with quality. Height and substance
important if both points are proportionately combined. Skull — Broad
between the ears, forehead flat, but wrinkled when attention is excited.
Brows (superciliary ridges) slightly raised. Muscles of the temples
and cheeks (temporal and masseter) well developed. Arch across the
skull of a rounded, flattened curve, with a depression up the centre of
the forehead from the medium line between the eyes, to half way up
the sagittal suture. Face or Muzzle — Short, broad under the eyes,
and keeping nearly parallel in width to the end of the nose ; truncated,
i.e. blunt and cut off square, thus forming a right angle with the upper
line of the face, of great depth from the point of the nose to under jaw.
Under jaw broad to the end ; canine teeth healthy, powerful, and wide
apart ; incisors level, or the lower projecting beyond the upper, but
never sufficiently so as to become visible when the mouth is closed.
Nose broad, with widely spreading nostrils when viewed from the front ;
flat (not pointed or turned up) in profile. Lips diverging at obtuse
angles with the septum, and slightly pendulous so as to show a square
profile. Length of muzzle to whole head and face as 1 to 3. Cir-
cumference of muzzle (measured midway between the eyes and nose)
to that of the head (measured before the ears) as 3 to 5. Ears — Small,
thin to the touch, wide apart, set on at the highest points of the sides
of the skull, so as to continue the outline across the summit, and lying
flat and close to the cheeks when in repose. Eyes — Small, wide apart,
divided by at least the space of two eyes. The stop between the
eyes well marked, but not too abrupt. Colour hazel-brown, the
darker the better, showing no haw. Neck, Chest and Ribs — Neck —
Slightly arched, moderately long, very muscular, and measuring in
circumference about one or two inches less than the skull before the
ears. Chest — Wide, deep, and well let down between the fore-legs.
Ribs arched and well-rounded. False ribs deep and well set back to
the hips. Girth should be one-third more than the height at the
shoulder. Shoulder and Arm — Slightly sloping, heavy and muscular.
Fore-legs and Feet — Legs straight, strong, and set wide apart; bones
very large. Elbows square. Pasterns upright. Feet large and
round. Toes well arched up. Nails black. Back, Loins and Flanks
— Back and loins wide and muscular ; flat and very wide in a bitch,
slightly arched in a dog. Great depth of flanks. Hind-legs and Feet —
Hind-quarters broad, wide, and muscular, with well developed second
thighs, hocks bent, wide apart, and quite squarely set when standing
or walking. Feet round. Tail — Put on high up, and reaching to the
hocks, or a little below them, wide at its root and tapering to the end,
hanging straight in repose, but forming a curve, with the end pointing
upwards, but not over the back, when the dog is excited. Coat —
Colour — Coat short and close lying, but not too fine over the shoulders,
neck, and back. Colour, apricot or silver fawn, or dark fawn-brindle.
In any case, muzzle, ears, and nose should be black, with black round
the orbits, and extending upwards between them.
14 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
Size is a quality very desirable in this breed. The height of
many dogs of olden days was from thirty-two to thirty-three
inches. The height should be obtained rather from great
depth of body than length of leg. A leggy Mastiff is very un-
desirable. Thirty inches may be taken as a fair average
height for dogs, and bitches somewhat less. Many of Mr.
Lukey's stood 32 inches and over ; Mr. Green's Monarch was
over 33 inches, The Shah 32 inches, and Cardinal 32 inches.
The method of rearing a Mastiff has much to do with its
ultimate size, but it is perhaps needless to say that the selection
of the breeding stock has still more to do with this. It is
therefore essential to select a dog and bitch of a large strain to
obtain large Mastiffs. It is not so necessary that the dogs
themselves should be so large as that they come from a large
strain. The weight of a full-grown dog should be anything
over 160 Ib. Many have turned over the scale at 180 Ib. The
Shah, for instance, was 182 Ib. in weight, Scawfell over
200 Ib.
One of the great difficulties that breeders of Mastiffs and all
other large dogs have to contend against is in rearing the
puppies ; so many bitches being clumsy and apt to kill the
whelps by lying on them. It is, therefore, always better to be
provided with one or more foster bitches. At about six weeks
old a fairly good opinion may be formed as to what the puppies
will ultimately turn out in certain respects, for, although they
may change materially during growth, the good or bad
qualities which are manifest at that early age will, in all prob-
ability, be apparent when the puppy has reached maturity.
It is, therefore, frequently easier to select the best puppy in
the nest than to do so when they are from six to nine or ten
months old.
Puppies should be allowed all the liberty possible, and never
be tied up : they should be taken out for steady, gentle
exercise, and not permitted to get too fat or they become too
heavy, with detrimental results to their legs. Many Mastiff
puppies are very shy and nervous, but they will grow out of this
THE ENGLISH MASTIFF 15
if kindly handled, and eventually become the best guard and
protector it is possible to have.
The temper of a Mastiff should be taken into consideration
by the breeder. They are, as a rule, possessed of the best of
tempers. A savage dog with such power as the Mastiff pos-
sesses is indeed a dangerous creature, and, therefore, some
inquiries as to the temper of a stud dog should be made before
deciding to use him. In these dogs, as in all others, it is a
question of how they are treated by the person having charge
of them.
The feeding of puppies is an important matter, and should
be carefully seen to by anyone wishing to rear them success-
fully. If goat's milk is procurable it is preferable to cow's
milk. The price asked for it is sometimes prohibitory, but
this difficulty may be surmounted in many cases by keeping a
goat or two on the premises. Many breeders have obtained a
goat with the sole object of rearing a litter of puppies on her
milk, and have eventually discarded cow's milk altogether,
using goat's milk for household purposes instead. As soon
as the puppies will lap they should be induced to take arrow-
root prepared with milk. Oatmeal and maizemeal, about one
quarter of the latter to three quarters of the former, make a
good food for puppies. Dog biscuits and the various hound
meals, soaked in good broth, may be used with advantage,
but no dogs, either large or small, can be kept in condition
for any length of time without a fair proportion of meat of
some kind. Sheep's paunches, cleaned and well boiled, mixed
with sweet stale bread, previously soaked in cold water, make
an excellent food and can hardly be excelled as a staple diet.
In feeding on horseflesh care should be taken to ascertain
that the horse was not diseased, especially if any is given
uncooked.
Worms are a constant source of trouble from the earliest
days of puppy-hood, and no puppy suffering from them will
thrive ; every effort, therefore, should be made to get rid of
them.
16 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
With proper feeding, grooming, exercise, and cleanliness,
any large dog can be kept in good condition without resort to
medicine, the use of which should be strictly prohibited unless
there is real need for it. Mastiffs kept under such conditions
are far more likely to prove successful stud dogs and brood
bitches than those to which deleterious drugs are constantly
being given.
CHAPTER III
THE BULLDOG
THE Bulldog is known to have been domiciled in this country
for several centuries. Like the Mastiff, of which it is a
smaller form, it is a descendant of the " Alaunt," Mastive, or
Bandog, described by Dr. Caius, who states that " the Mastyve
or Bandogge is vaste, huge, stubborne, ougly and eager, of a
hevy, and burthenous body, and therefore but of little swift-
nesse, terrible and frightful to beholde, and more fearce and
fell than any Arcadian curre."
The first mention of " Bulldog " as the distinctive name
of this now national breed occurs in a letter, written by
Prestwich Eaton from St. Sebastian to George Wellingham
in St. Swithin's Lane, London, in 1631 or 1632, " for a good
Mastive dogge, a case of bottles replenished with the best
lickour, and pray proceur mee two good bulldoggs, and let
them be sent by ye first shipp." Obviously the name was
derived from the dog's association with the sport of bull-baiting.
The object aimed at in that pursuit was that the dog should pin
and hold the bull by the muzzle, and not leave it. The bull
was naturally helpless when seized in his most tender part.
As he lowered his head in order to use his horns it was neces-
sary for the dog to keep close to the ground, or, in the words of
the old fanciers of the sport, to " play low." Larger dogs
were at a disadvantage in this respect, and, therefore, those
of smaller proportions, which were quite as suitable for the
sport, were selected. The average height of the dogs was
about 16 inches, and the weight was generally about 45 Ibs.,
whilst the body was broad, muscular, and compact, as is
shown in Scott's well-known engraving of " Crib and Rosa."
c 17
i8 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
When bull-baiting was prohibited by law the sportsmen of
the period turned their attention to dog-fighting, and for this
pastime the Bulldogs were specially trained. The chief
centres in London where these exhibitions took place were the
Westminster Pit, the Bear Garden at Bankside, and the Old
Conduit Fields in Bayswater. In order to obtain greater
quickness of movement many of the Bulldogs were crossed
with a terrier, although some fanciers relied on the pure breed.
It is recorded that Lord Camelford's Bulldog Belcher fought
one hundred and four battles without once suffering defeat.
The decline of bull-baiting and dog-fighting after the passing
of the Bill prohibiting these sports was responsible for a lack of
interest in perpetuating the breed of Bulldogs. Even in 1824
it was said to be degenerating, and gentlemen who had pre-
viously been the chief breeders gradually deserted the fancy.
At one time it was stated that Wasp, Child, and Billy, who
were of the Duke of Hamilton's strain, were the only re-
maining Bulldogs in existence, and that upon their decease the
Bulldog would become extinct — a prophecy which all Bulldog
lovers happily find incorrect.
The specimens alive in 1817, as seen in prints of that period,
were not so cloddy as those met with at the present day.
Still, the outline of Rosa in the engraving of Crib and
Rosa, is considered to represent perfection in the shape, make,
and size of the ideal type of Bulldog. The only objections
which have been taken are that the bitch is deficient in wrinkles
about the head and neck, and in substance of bone in the
limbs.
The commencement of the dog-show era in 1859 enabled
classes to be provided for Bulldogs, and a fresh incentive to
breed them was offered to the dog fancier. In certain districts
of the country, notably in London, Birmingham, Sheffield,
Manchester, and Dudley, a number of fanciers resided, and it
is to their efforts that we are indebted for the varied specimens
of the breed that are to be seen at the present time.
In forming a judgment of a Bulldog the general appearance
THE BULLDOG 19
is of most importance, as the various points of the dog should
be symmetrical and well balanced, no one point being in excess
of the others so as to destroy the impression of determination,
strength, and activity which is conveyed by the typical speci-
men. His body should be thickset, rather low in stature, but
broad, powerful, and compact. The head should be strik-
ingly massive and large in proportion to the dog's size. It
cannot be too large so long as it is square ; that is, it must not
be wider than it is deep. The larger the head in circumference,
caused by the prominent cheeks, the greater the quantity
of muscle to hold the jaws together. The head should be of
great depth from the occiput to the base of the lower jaw, and
should not in any way be wedge-shaped, dome-shaped, or
peaked. In circumference the skull should measure in front
of the ears at least the height of the dog at the shoulders. The
cheeks should be well rounded, extend sideways beyond the
eyes, and be well furnished with muscle. Length of skull —
that is, the distance between the eye and the ear — is very
desirable. The forehead should be flat, and the skin upon it
and about the head very loose, hanging in large wrinkles. The
temples, or frontal bones, should be very prominent, broad,
square and high, causing a wide and deep groove known as
the " stop " between the eyes, and should extend up the middle
of the forehead, dividing the head vertically, being traceable
at the top of the skull. The expression " well broken up "
is used where this stop and furrow are well marked, and if
there is the attendant looseness of skin the animal's expression
is well finished.
The face, when measured from the front of the cheek-bone
to the nose, should be short, and its skin should be deeply and
closely wrinkled. Excessive shortness of face is not natural,
and can only be obtained by the sacrifice of the " chop."
Such shortness of face makes the dog appear smaller in head
and less formidable than he otherwise would be. Formerly
this shortness of face was artificially obtained by the use of
the "jack," an atrocious form of torture, by which an iron
20 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
instrument was used to force back the face by means of thumb-
screws. The nose should be rough, large, broad, and black,
and this colour should extend to the lower lip ; its top should
be deeply set back, almost between the eyes. The distance
from the inner corner of the eye to the extreme tip of the nose
should not be greater than the length from the tip of the nose
to the edge of the under lip. The nostrils should be large and
wide, with a well-defined straight line visible between them.
The largeness of nostril, which is a very desirable property, is
possessed by few of the recent prize-winners.
When viewed in profile the tip of the nose should touch an
imaginary line drawn from the extremity of the lower jaw to
the top of the centre of the skull. This angle of the nose and
face is known as the lay-back, and can only properly be ascer-
tained by viewing the dog from the side.
The inclination backward of the nose allows a free passage
of the air into the nostrils whilst the dog is holding his quarry.
It is apparent that if the mouth did not project beyond the
nose, the nostrils would be flat against the part to which the
dog was fixed, and breathing would then be stopped.
The upper lip, called the " chop," or flews, should be thick,
broad, pendant and very deep, hanging completely over the
lower jaw at the sides, but only just joining the under lip in
front, yet covering the teeth completely. The amount of
" cushion " which a dog may have is dependent upon the thick-
ness of the flews. The lips should not be pendulous.
The upper jaw should be broad, massive, and square, the
tusks being wide apart, whilst the lower jaw, being turned
upwards, should project in front of the upper. The teeth
should be large and strong, and the six small teeth between
the tusks should be in an even row. The upper jaw cannot be
too broad between the tusks. If the upper and lower jaws
are level, and the muzzle is not turned upwards the dog is said
to be " down-faced," whilst if the underjaw is not undershot
he is said to be " froggy." A " wry-faced " dog is one having
the lower jaw twisted, and this deformity so detracts from the
THE BULLDOG 21
general appearance of the dog as seriously to handicap him
in the show-ring.
The under jaw projects beyond the upper in order to allow
the dog, when running directly to the front, to grasp the bull,
and, when fixed, to give him a firmer hold. The eyes, seen
from the front, should be situated low down in the skull, as far
from the ears, the nose, and each other as possible, but quite
in front of the forehead, so long as their corners are in a straight
line at right angles with the stop, and in front of the forehead.
They should be a little above the level of the base of the nasal
bone, and should be quite round in shape, of moderate size,
neither sunken nor prominent, and be as black in colour as
possible — almost, if not quite, black, showing no white when
looking directly to the front.
A good deal of a Bulldog's appearance depends on the
quality, shape, and carriage of his ears. They should be small
and thin, and set high on the head ; that is, the front inner
edge of each ear should, as viewed from the front, join the out-
line of the skull at the top corner of such outline, so as to place
them as wide apart, as high, and as far from the eyes as
possible. The shape should be that which is known as " rose,"
in which the ear folds inward at the back, the upper or front
edge curving over outwards and backwards, showing part of
the inside of the burr. If the ears are placed low on the skull
they give an appleheaded appearance to the dog. If the ear
falls in front, hiding the interior, as is the case with a Fox-
terrier, it is said to " button," and this type is highly objec-
tionable. Unfortunately, within the last few years the
" button " and " semi-tulip " ear have been rather prevalent
amongst the specimens on the show bench.
If the ear is carried erect it is known as a " tulip " ear, and
this form also is objectionable. Nevertheless, at the beginning
of the nineteeth century two out of every three dogs possessed
ears of this description.
The neck should be moderate in length, very thick, deep,
muscular, and short, but of sufficient length to allow it to be
22 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
well arched at the back, commencing at the junction with the
skull. There should be plenty of loose, thick, and wrinkled
skin about the throat, forming a dewlap on each side from
the lower jaw to the chest.
The chest should be very wide laterally, round, prominent,
and deep, making the dog appear very broad and short-
legged in front. The shoulders should be broad, the blades
sloping considerably from the body ; they should be deep,
very powerful, and muscular, and should be flat at the top
and play loosely from the chest.
The brisket should be capacious, round, and very deep
from the shoulder to the lowest part, where it joins the chest,
and be well let down between the fore-legs. It should be large
in diameter, and round behind the fore-legs, neither flat-sided
nor sinking, which it will not do provided that the first and
succeeding ribs are well rounded. The belly should be well
tucked up and not pendulous, a small narrow waist being
greatly admired. The desired object in body formation is
to obtain great girth at the brisket, and the smallest possible
around the waist, that is, the loins should be arched very
high, when the dog is said to have a good " cut-up."
The back should be short and strong, very broad at the
shoulder and comparatively narrow at the loins. The back
should rise behind the shoulders in a graceful curve to the
loins, the top of which should be higher than the top of the
shoulders, thence curving again more suddenly to the tail,
forming an arch known as the " roach " back, which is
essentially a characteristic of the breed, though, unfortu-
nately, many leading prize-winners of the present day are
entirely deficient in this respect. Some dogs dip very con-
siderably some distance behind the shoulders before the up-
ward curve of the spine begins, and these are known as
" swamp-backed " ; others rise in an almost straight line to
the root of the tail, and are known as " stern-high."
The tail should be set on low, jut out rather straight, then
turn downwards, the end pointing horizontally. It should be
THE BULLDOG 23
quite round in its whole length, smooth and devoid of fringe
or coarse hair. It should be moderate in length, rather
short than long, thick at the root, and taper quickly to a
fine point. It should have a downward carriage, and the
dog should not be able to raise it above the level of the back-
bone. The tail should not curve at the end, otherwise it is
known as " ring- tailed." The ideal length of tail is about
six inches.
Many fanciers demand a " screw " or " kinked " tail,
that is, one having congenital dislocations at the joints, but
such appendages are not desirable in the best interests of the
breed.
The fore-legs should be very stout and strong, set wide
apart, thick, muscular, and short, with well-developed
muscles in the calves, presenting a rather bowed outline,
but the bones of the legs must be straight, large, and not
bandy or curved. They should be rather short in proportion
to the hind-legs, but not so short as to make the back appear
long or detract from the dog's activity and so cripple him.
The elbows should be low and stand well away from the
ribs, so as to permit the body to swing between them. If
this property be absent the dog is said to be " on the leg."
The ankles or pasterns should be short, straight, and strong.
The fore-feet should be straight and turn very slightly out-
wards ; they should be of medium size and moderately
round, not too long or narrow, whilst the toes should be thick,
compact, and well split up, making the knuckles prominent
and high.
The hind-legs, though of slighter build than the fore-legs,
should be strong and muscular. They should be longer, in
proportion, than the fore-legs in order to elevate the loins.
The stifles should be round and turned slightly outwards,
away from the body, thus bending the hocks inward and the
hind-feet outward. The hocks should be well let down, so
that the leg is long and muscular from the loins to the point
of the hock, which makes the pasterns short, but these should
24 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
not be so short as those of the fore-legs. The hind-feet, whilst
being smaller than the forefeet, should be round and compact,
with the toes well split up, and the knuckles prominent.
The most desirable weight for a Bulldog is about 50 Ibs.
The coat should be fine in texture, short, close, and smooth,
silky when stroked from the head towards the tail owing to its
closeness, but not wiry when stroked in the reverse direction.
The colour should be whole or smut, the latter being a
whole colour with a black mask or muzzle. It should be
brilliant and pure of its sort. The colours in order of merit
are, first, whole colours and smuts, viz., brindles, reds, white,
with their varieties, as whole fawns, fallows, etc., and,
secondly, pied and mixed colours. Opinions differ considerably
on the colour question ; one judge will set back a fawn and
put forward a pied dog, whilst others will do the reverse.
Occasionally one comes across specimens having a black-and-
tan colour, which, although not mentioned in the recognised
standard as being debarred, do not as a rule figure in the prize
list. Some of the best specimens which the writer has seen
have been black-and-tans, and a few years ago on the award
of a first prize to a bitch of this colour, a long but non-conclu-
sive argument was held in the canine press. Granted that the
colour is objectionable, a dog which scores in all other pro-
perties should not be put down for this point alone, seeing that
in the dog-fighting days there were many specimens of this
colour.
In action the Bulldog should have a peculiarly heavy and
constrained gait, a rolling, or " slouching " movement,
appearing to walk with short, quick steps on the tip of his
toes, his hind-feet not being lifted high but appearing to skim
the ground, and running with the right shoulder rather ad-
vanced, similar to the manner of a horse when cantering.
The foregoing minute description of the various show
points of a Bulldog indicates that he should have the appear-
ance of a thick-set Ayrshire or Highland bull. In stature he
should be low to the ground, broad and compact, the body
THE BULLDOG 25
being carried between and not on the fore-legs. He should
stand over a great deal of ground, and have the appearance
of immense power. The height of the fore-leg should not ex-
ceed the distance from the elbow to the centre of the back,
between the shoulder blades.
Considerable importance is attached to the freedom and
activity displayed by the animal in its movements. De-
formed joints, or weakness, are very objectionable. The
head should be strikingly massive and carried low, the face
short, the muzzle very broad, blunt, and inclined upwards.
The body should be short and well-knit, the limbs, stout and
muscular. The hind-quarters should be very high and strong,
but rather lightly made in comparison with the heavily-
made fore-parts.
It must be acknowledged that there are many strains of
this breed which are constitutionally unsound. For this
reason it is important that the novice should give very careful
consideration to his first purchase of a Bulldog. He should
ascertain beyond all doubt, not only that his proposed pur-
chase is itself sound in wind and limb, but that its sire and
dam are, and have been, in similarly healthy condition. The
dog to be chosen should be physically strong and show pro-
nounced muscular development. If these requirements are
present and the dog is in no sense a contradiction of the good
qualities of its progenitors, but a justification of its pedigree,
care and good treatment will do the rest. It is to be re-
membered, however, that a Bulldog may be improved by
judicious exercise. When at exercise, or taking a walk with
his owner, the young dog should always be held by a leash.
He will invariably pull vigorously against this restraint, but
such action is beneficial, as it tends to develop the muscles
of the shoulders and front of the body.
When taking up the Bulldog fancy, nine out of every ten
novices choose to purchase a male. The contrary course should
be adopted. The female is an equally good companion in the
house or on the road ; she is not less affectionate and faithful ;
26 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
and when the inevitable desire to attempt to reproduce the
species is reached the beginner has the means at once available.
It is always difficult for the uninitiated to select what is
likely to be a good dog from the nest. In choosing a puppy
care should be taken to ensure it has plenty of bone in its
limbs, and these should be fairly short and wide ; the nostrils
should be large and the face as short as possible. The chop
should be thick and heavily wrinkled and the mouth square.
There should be a distinct indent in the upper jaw, where the
bone will eventually curve, whilst the lower jaw should show
signs of curvature and protrude slightly in front of the upper
jaw. The teeth from canine to canine, including the six
front teeth, should be in a straight line.
See that the ears are very small and thin, and the eyes set
well apart. The puppy having these properties, together
with a domed, peaked, or " cocoanut " shaped skull, is the one
which, in nine cases out of ten, will eventually make the best
headed dog of the litter.
The breeding of Bulldogs requires unlimited patience, as
success is very difficult to attain. The breeder who can rear
five out of every ten puppies born may be considered fortu-
nate. It is frequently found in what appears to be a healthy
lot of puppies that some of them begin to whine and whimper
towards the end of the first day, and in such cases the writer's
experience is that there will be a speedy burial.
It may be that the cause is due to some acidity of the milk,
but in such a case one would expect that similar difficulty
would be experienced with the remainder of the litter, but
this is not the usual result. Provided that the puppies can be
kept alive until the fourth day, it may be taken that the
chances are well in favour of ultimate success.
Many breeders object to feeding the mother with meat
at this time, but the writer once had two litter sisters who
whelped on the same day, and he decided to try the effect
of a meat versus farinaceous diet upon them. As a result the
bitch who was freely fed with raw beef reared a stronger lot
MR. AND MRS. ARTHUR MAYOR'S BULLDOG CH. SILENT DUCHESS
THE BULLDOG 27
of puppies, showing better developed bone, than did the one
who was fed on milk and cereals.
Similarly, in order that the puppy, after weaning, may
develop plenty of bone and muscle, it is advisable to feed
once a day upon finely minced raw meat. There are some
successful breeders, indeed, who invariably give to each
puppy a teaspoonful of cod liver oil in the morning and a
similar dose of extract of malt in the evening, with the result
that there are never any rickety or weak dogs in the kennels,
whilst the development of the bones in the skull and limbs
is most pronounced.
Owing to their lethargic disposition, young Bulldogs are
somewhat liable to indigestion, and during the period of
puppyhood it is of advantage to give them a tablespoonful
of lime water once a day in their milk food.
Many novices are in doubt as to the best time to breed from
a Bull bitch, seeing that oestrum is present before she is fully
developed. It may be taken as practically certain that it is
better for her to be allowed to breed at her first heat. Nature
has so arranged matters that a Bull bitch is not firmly set in
her bones until she reaches an age of from twelve to eighteen
months, and therefore she will have less difficulty in giving
birth to her offspring if she be allowed to breed at this time.
Great mortality occurs in attempting to breed from maiden
bitches exceeding three years of age, as the writer knows to
his cost.
It is desirable, in the case of a young bitch having her first
litter, for her master or mistress to be near her at the time,
in order to render any necessary assistance ; but such atten-
tions should not be given unless actual necessity arises.
Some bitches with excessive lay-back and shortness of face
have at times a difficulty in releasing the puppy from the
membrane in which it is born, and in such a case it is necessary
for the owner to open this covering and release the puppy,
gently shaking it about in the box until it coughs and begins
to breathe.
28 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
The umbilical cord should be severed from the afterbirth
about four inches from the puppy, and this will dry up and
fall away in the course of a couple of days.
In general, it is true economy for the Bulldog breeder to
provide a foster-mother in readiness for the birth of the ex-
pected litter ; especially is this so in the case of a first litter,
when the qualifications for nursing by the mother are un-
known. Where there are more than five puppies it is also
desirable to obtain a foster-mother in order that full nourish-
ment may be given to the litter by both mothers.
The best time of the year for puppies to be born is in the
spring, when, owing to the approaching warm weather, they
can lead an outdoor life. By the time they are six months
old they should have sufficient stamina to enable them to
withstand the cold of the succeeding winter. It has been
ascertained that Bulldogs which have been reared out of doors
are the least liable to suffer from indigestion, torpidity of the
liver, asthma or other chest ailments, whilst they invariably
have the hardiest constitution.
Bulldogs generally require liberal feeding, and should have
a meal of dry biscuit the first thing in the morning, whilst
the evening meal should consist of a good stew of butcher's
offal poured over broken biscuit, bread, or other cereal food.
In the winter time it is advantageous to soak a tablespoonful
of linseed in water overnight, and after the pods have opened
to turn the resulting jelly into the stew pot. This ensures a
fine glossy coat, and is of value in toning up the intestines.
Care must, however, be taken not to follow this practice to
excess in warm weather, as the heating nature of the linseed
will eventually cause skin trouble.
With these special points attended to, the novice should
find no difficulty in successfully becoming a Bulldog fancier,
owner, and breeder.
In conclusion, it cannot be too widely known that the
Bulldog is one of the very few breeds which can, with
perfect safety, be trusted alone to the mercy of children,
THE BULLDOG 29
who, naturally, in the course of play, try the patience and
good temper of the firmest friend of man.
THE MINIATURE BULLDOG
Fifty or sixty years ago, Toy — or, rather, as a recent edict
of the Kennel Club requires them to be dubbed, Miniature —
Bulldogs were common objects of the canine country-side.
In fact, you can hardly ever talk for ten minutes to any
Bulldog breeder of old standing without his telling you tall
stories of the wonderful little Bulldogs, weighing about
fifteen or sixteen pounds, he either knew or owned in those
long-past days !
Prominent among those who made a cult of these " bantams "
were the laceworkers of Nottingham, and many prints are
extant which bear witness to the excellent little specimens
they bred. But a wave of unpopularity overwhelmed them,
and they faded across the Channel to France, where, if, as is
asserted, our Gallic neighbours appreciated them highly,
they cannot be said to have taken much care to preserve their
best points. When, in 1898, a small but devoted band of
admirers revived them in England, they returned most
attractive, 'tis true, but hampered by many undesirable
features, such as bat ears, froggy faces, waving tails, and a
general lack of Bulldog character. However, the Toy Bull-
dog Club then started, took the dogs vigorously in hand, and
thanks to unceasing efforts, Toy Bulldogs have always
since been catered for at an ever increasing number of shows.
Their weight, after much heated discussion and sundry downs
and ups, was finally fixed at twenty-two pounds and under.
The original aim of Miniature Bulldogs — i.e. to look like the
larger variety seen through the wrong end of a telescope —
if not actually achieved, is being rapidly approached, and can
no longer be looked upon as merely the hopeless dream of a
few enthusiasts.
To enumerate in detail the Miniature Bulldog scale of points
is quite unnecessary, as it is simply that of the big ones
30 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
writ small. In other words, " the general appearance of the
Miniature Bulldog must as nearly as possible resemble that
of the Big Bulldog " — a terse sentence which comprises in
itself all that can be said on the subject.
As companions and friends Miniature Bulldogs are faithful,
fond, and even foolish in their devotion, as all true friends
should be. They are absolutely and invariably good-tem-
pered, and, as a rule, sufficiently fond of the luxuries of this
life — not to say greedy — to be easily cajoled into obedience.
Remarkably intelligent, and caring enough for sport to be
sympathetically excited at the sight of a rabbit without
degenerating into cranks on the subject like terriers. Tak-
ing a keen interest in all surrounding people and objects,
without, however, giving way to ceaseless barking ; enjoying
outdoor exercise, without requiring an exhausting amount,
they are in every way ideal pets, and adapt themselves to
town and country alike.
As puppies they are delicate, and require constant care and
supervision ; but that only adds a keener zest to the attrac-
tive task of breeding them, the more so owing to the fact that
as mothers they do not shine, being very difficult to manage,
and generally manifesting a strong dislike to rearing their
own offspring. In other respects they are quite hardy little
dogs, and — one great advantage — they seldom have distemper.
Cold and damp they particularly dislike, especially when
puppies, and the greatest care should be taken to keep them
thoroughly dry and warm. When very young indeed they
can stand, and are the better for, an extraordinary amount
of heat.
THE FRENCH BULLDOG (BOULEDOGUE FRAN^AIS)
There appears to be no doubt that the French Bulldog
originated in England, and is an offshoot of the English
miniature variety Bulldog, not the Bulldog one sees on the
bench to-day, but of the tulip-eared and short underjawed
specimens which were common in London, Nottingham,
THE BULLDOG 31
Birmingham, and Sheffield in the early 'fifties. There was at
that time a constant emigration of laceworkers from Notting-
ham to the coast towns of Normandy, where lace factories
were springing into existence, and these immigrants frequently
took a Bulldog with them to the land of their adoption. The
converse method was also adopted. Prior to 1902 French
Bulldogs were imported into this country with the object of
resuscitating the strain of bantam Bulldogs, which in course
of years had been allowed to dwindle in numbers, and were
in danger of becoming extinct.
There are superficial similarities between the English and
the French toy Bulldog, the one distinguishing characteristic
being that in the French variety the ears are higher on the
head and are held erect. Until a few years ago the two were
interbred, but disputes as to their essential differences led
the Kennel Club to intervene and the types have since been
kept rigidly apart, the smart little bat-eared Bulldogs of
France receiving recognition under the breed name of Boul-
dogues
CHAPTER IV
THE ST. BERNARD
THE history of the St. Bernard dog would not be complete
without reference being made to the noble work that he has
done in Switzerland, his native land : how the Hospice St.
Bernard kept a considerable number of dogs which were
trained to go over the mountains with small barrels round
their necks, containing restoratives, in the event of their
coming across any poor travellers who had either lost their
way, or had been overcome by the cold. We have been told
that the intelligent animals saved many lives in this way,
the subjects of their deliverance often being found entirely
buried in the snow.
Handsome as the St. Bernard is, with his attractive colour
and markings, he is a cross-bred dog. From the records of
old writers it is to be gathered that to refill the kennels at the
Hospice which had been rendered vacant from the combined
catastrophes of distemper and the fall of an avalanche which
had swept away nearly all their hounds, the monks were
compelled to have recourse to a cross with the Newfoundland
and the Pyrenean sheepdog, the latter not unlike the St.
Bernard in size and appearance. Then, again, there is no
doubt whatever that at some time the Bloodhound has been
introduced, and it is known for a certainty that almost all
the most celebrated St. Bernards in England at the present
time are closely allied to the Mastiff.
The result of all this intermixture of different breeds has
been the production of an exceedingly fine race of dogs, which
form one of the most attractive features at our dog shows,
32
THE ST. BERNARD 33
and are individually excellent guards and companions. As
a companion, the St. Bernard cannot be surpassed, when a
large dog is required for the purpose. Most docile in tempera-
ment and disposition, he is admirably suited as the associate
of a lady or a child.
The St. Bernard is sensitive to a degree, and seldom forgets
an insult, which he resents with dignity. Specimens of the
breed have occasionally been seen that are savage, but when
this is the case ill-treatment of some sort has assuredly been
the provoking cause.
The dogs at the Hospice of St. Bernard are small in com-
parison with those that are seen in England belonging to the
same race. The Holy Fathers were more particular about
their markings than great size. The body colour should be
brindle or orange tawny, with white markings ; the muzzle
white, with a line running up between the eyes, and over the
skull, joining at the back the white collar that encircles the
neck down to the front of the shoulders. The colour round
the eyes and on the ears should be of a darker shade in the
red ; in the centre of the white line at the occiput there should
be a spot of colour. These markings are said to represent
the stole, chasuble and scapular which form part of the vest-
ments worn by the monks ; but it is seldom that the markings
are so clearly denned ; they are more often white, with
brindle or orange patches on the body, with evenly-marked
heads.
In England St. Bernards are either distinctly rough in coat
or smooth, but the generality of the Hospice dogs are broken
in coat, having a texture between the two extremes. The
properties, however, of the rough and smooth are the same,
so that the two varieties are often bred together, and, as a
rule, both textures of coat will be the result of the alliance.
The late M. Schumacher, a great authority on the breed in
Switzerland, averred that dogs with very rough coats were
found to be of no use for work on the Alps, as their thick
covering became so loaded with snow and their feet so clogged
34 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
that they succumbed under the weight and perished. On
that account they were discarded by the monks.
In connection with the origin of the St. Bernard, M. Schu-
macher wrote in a letter to Mr. J. C. Macdona, who was the
first to introduce the breed into Great Britain in any numbers :
" According to the tradition of the Holy Fathers of the Great
Saint Bernard, their race descends from the crossing of a
bitch (a Bulldog species) of Denmark and a Mastiff (Shepherd's
Dog) of the Pyrenees. The descendants of the crossing,
who have inherited from the Danish dog its extraordinary
size and bodily strength, and from the Pyrenean Mastiff the
intelligence, the exquisite sense of smell, and, at the same
time, the faithfulness and sagacity which characterise them,
have acquired in the space of five centuries so glorious a
notoriety throughout Europe that they well merit the name
of a distinct race for themselves."
From the same authority we learn that it is something
like six hundred years since the St. Bernard came into exist-
ence. It was not, however, till competitive exhibitions for
dogs had been for some years established that the St. Bernard
gained a footing in Great Britain. A few specimens had been
imported from the Hospice before Mr. Gumming Macdona
(then the Rev. Gumming Macdona) introduced us to the
celebrated Tell, who, with others of the breed brought from
Switzerland, formed the foundation of his magnificent kennel
at West Kirby, in Cheshire. Albert Smith, whom some
few that are now alive will remember as an amusing lecturer,
brought a pair from the Hospice when returning from
a visit to the Continent and made them take a part
in his attractive entertainment ; but the associations of
the St. Bernard with the noble deeds recorded in history
were not then so widely known, and these two dogs
passed away without having created any particular
enthusiasm.
Later on, at a dog show at Cremorne held in 1863, two St.
Bernards were exhibited, each of whom rejoiced in the name
THE ST. BERNARD 35
of Monk, and were, respectively, the property of the Rev.
A. N. Bate and Mr. W. H. Stone. These dogs were exhibited
without pedigrees, but were said to have been bred at the
Hospice of St. Bernard. Three years later, at the National
Show at Birmingham, a separate class was provided for the
saintly breed, and Mr. Gumming Macdona was first and
second with Tell and Bernard. This led to an immediate
popularity of the St. Bernard. But Tell was the hero of
the shows at which he appeared, and his owner was recognised
as being the introducer into this country of the magnificent
variety of the canine race that now holds such a prominent
position as a show dog.
The names of Tell and Bernard have been handed down
to fame, the former as the progenitor of a long line of rough-
coated offspring ; the latter as one of the founders of the
famous Shefford Kennel, kept by Mr. Fred Gresham, who
probably contributed more to the perfecting of the St. Bernard
than any other breeder. His Birnie, Monk, Abbess, Grosvenor
Hector, and Shah are names which appear in the pedigrees
of most of the best dogs of more recent times. When Mr.
Gresham drew his long record of success to a close there came
a lull in the popularity of the breed until Dr. Inman, in partner-
ship with Mr. B. Walmsley, established a kennel first at
Barford, near Bath, and then at The Priory, at Bowden, in
Cheshire, where they succeeded in breeding the finest kennel
of St. Bernards that has ever been seen in the world. Dr.
Inman had for several years owned good dogs, and set about
the work on scientific principles. He, in conjunction with
Mr. Walmsley, purchased the smooth-coated Kenilworth
from Mr. Loft, bred that dog's produce with a brindle Mastiff
of high repute, and then crossed back to his St. Bernards
with the most successful results. Dr. Inman was instrumental
in forming the National St. Bernard Club, which was soon
well supported with members, and now has at its disposal
a good collection of valuable challenge cups. The dogs
bred at Bowden carried all before them in the show ring,
36 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
and were continually in request for stud purposes, improving
the breed to a remarkable extent.
At the disposal of Messrs. Inman and Walmsley's kennel,
there were such admirable dogs as the rough-coated Wolfram
— from whom were bred Tannhauser, Narcissus, Leontes
and Klingsor — the smooth-coated dogs, the King's Son and
The Viking ; the rough-coated bitch, Judith Inman, and
the smooth Viola, the last-named the finest specimen of her
sex that has probably ever been seen. These dogs and bitches,
with several others, were dispersed all over England, with
the exception of Klingsor, who went to South Africa.
Almost all the best St. Bernards in Great Britain at the
present time have been bred or are descended from the Bowden
dogs.
The following is the description of the St. Bernard as
drawn up by the members of the St. Bernard Club :
Head — The head should be large and massive, the circumference of
the skull being more than double the length of the head from nose to
occiput. From stop to tip of nose should be moderately short ; full
below the eye and square at the muzzle ; there should be great depth
from the eye to the lower jaw, and the lips should be deep throughout,
but not too pendulous. From the nose to the stop should be straight,
and the stop abrupt and well defined. The skull should be broad and
rounded at the top, but not domed, with somewhat prominent brow.
Ears — The ears should be of medium size, lying close to the cheek, but
strong at the base and not heavily feathered. Eyes — The eyes should
be rather small and deep set, dark in colour and not too close together ;
the lower eyelid should droop, so as to show a fair amount of haw.
Nose — The nose should be large and black, with well developed nostrils.
The teeth should be level. Expression — The expression should betoken
benevolence, dignity, and intelligence. Neck — The neck should be
lengthy, muscular, and slightly arched, with dewlap developed, and
the shoulders broad and sloping, well up at the withers. General
Description of Body — The chest should be wide and deep, and the back
level as far as the haunches, slightly arched over the loins ; the ribs
should be well rounded and carried well back ; the loin wide and very
muscular. Tall — The tail should be set on rather high, long, and in the
long-coated variety bushy ; carried low when in repose, and when
excited or in motion slightly above the line of the back. Legs — The
fore-legs should be perfectly straight, strong in bone, and of good length ;
and the hind-legs very muscular. The feet large, compact, with well-
arched toes. Size — A dog should be at least 30 inches in height at the
shoulder, and a bitch 27 inches (the taller the better, provided the
symmetry is maintained) ; thoroughly well proportioned, and of great
THE ST. BERNARD 37
substance. The general outline should suggest great power and
capability of endurance. Coat — In the long-coated variety the coat
should be dense and flat ; rather fuller round the neck ; the thighs
feathered but not too heavily. In the short-coated variety, the coat
should be dense, hard, flat, and short, slightly feathered on thighs and
tail. Colour and Markings — The colour should be red, orange, various
shades of brindle (the richer colour the better), or white with patches
on body of one of the above named colours. The markings should be
as follows : white muzzle, white blaze up face, white collar round neck ;
white chest, forelegs, feet, and end of tail ; black shadings on face and
ears. If the blaze be wide and runs through to the collar, a spot of the
body colour on the top of the head is desirable.
The weight of a dog should be from 170 Ibs. to 210 Ibs. ; of a bitch
160 Ibs. to 190 Ibs.
During the past twenty-five years St. Bernards have been
bred in this country very much taller and heavier than they
were in the days of Tell, Hope, Moltke, Monk, Hector, and
Othman. Not one of these measured over 32 inches in height,
or scaled over 180 Ibs., but the increased height and greater
weight of the more modern production have been obtained
by forcing them as puppies and by fattening them to such
an extent that they have been injured in constitution, and
in many cases converted into cripples behind. The prize-
winning rough-coated St. Bernard, as he is seen to-day is
a purely manufactured animal, handsome in appearance
certainly, but so cumbersome that he is scarcely able to
raise a trot, let alone do any tracking in the snow. Usefulness,
however, is not a consideration with breeders, who have
reared the dog to meet the exigencies of the show ring. There
is still much left to be desired, and there is room for con-
siderable improvement, as only a few of the more modern
dogs of the breed approach the standard drawn up by the
Clubs that are interested in their welfare.
CHAPTER V
THE NEWFOUNDLAND
THE dogs which take their name from the island of New-
foundland appeal to all lovers of animals, romance, and
beauty. A Newfoundland formed the subject of perhaps
the most popular picture painted by Sir Edwin Landseer ; a
monument was erected by Byron over the grave of his New-
foundland in proximity to the place where the poet himself
hoped to be buried, at Newstead Abbey, and the inscription
on his monument contains the lines so frequently quoted :
"But the poor dog in life the firmest friend,
The first to welcome, foremost to defend,
Whose honest heart is still his master's own,
Who labours, fights, lives, breathes for him alone.
To mark a friend's remains these stones arise :
I never knew but one, and here he lies."
Robert Burns, also, in his poem, " The Twa Dogs," written
in 1786, refers to a Newfoundland as being an aristocrat
among dogs. Doubtless, other breeds of dogs have been
the subjects of popular pictures and have had their praises
sung by poets, but the Newfoundlands have yet a further
honour, unique amongst dogs, in being the subject for a
postage stamp of their native land. All these distinctions
and honours have not been conferred without reason, for
no breed of dogs has greater claim to the title of friend of
man, and it has become famous for its known readiness and
ability to save persons in danger, especially from drowning.
It is strong and courageous in the water, and on land a properly
trained Newfoundland is an ideal companion and guard.
38
THE NEWFOUNDLAND 39
Innumerable are the accounts of Newfoundlands having
proved their devotion to their owners, and of the many lives
saved by them in river and sea ; and when Sir Edwin Landseer
selected one of the breed as the subject of his picture entitled,
" A Distinguished Member of the Humane Society," he was
justified not only by the sentiment attaching to this re-
markable race of dogs, but also by the deeds by which New-
foundlands have made good their claim to such great distinc-
tion, and the popular recognition of this, no doubt, in some
degree added to the great esteem in which this painting has
always been held.
The picture was painted in 1838, and, as almost everyone
knows, represents a white and black Newfoundland. The
dog portrayed was typical of the breed, and after a lapse
of over seventy years, the painting has now the added value
of enabling us to make a comparison with specimens of the
breed as it exists to-day. Such a comparison will show that
among the best dogs now living are some which might have
been the model for this picture. It is true that in the interval
the white and black Newfoundlands have been coarser,
heavier, higher on the legs, with an expression denoting
excitability quite foreign to the true breed, but these de-
partures from Newfoundland character are passing away
— it is to be hoped for good. The breed is rapidly returning
to the type which Landseer's picture represents — a dog of
great beauty, dignity, and benevolence of character, showing
in its eyes an almost human pathos.
Some twenty-five to thirty years ago there was considerable
discussion among owners of Newfoundlands in this country
as to the proper colour of the true breed, and there were
many persons who claimed, as some still claim, that the black
variety is the only true variety, and that the white and black
colouring indicates a cross-breed. Again Landseer's picture
is of value, because, in the first place, we may be almost
certain that he would have selected for such a picture a
typical dog of the breed, and, secondly, because the picture
40 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
shows, nearly half a century prior to the discussion, a white
and black dog, typical in nearly every respect, except colour,
of the black Newfoundland. There is no appearance of
cross-breeding in Landseer's dog ; on the contrary, he reveals
all the characteristics of a thoroughbred. Seventy years
ago, therefore, the white and black variety may be fairly
considered to have been established, and it is worthy of
mention here that " Idstone " quoted an article written in
1819 stating that back in the eighteenth century Newfound-
lands were large, rough-coated, liver and white dogs. It is
clear, also, that in 1832 Newfoundlands in British North
America were of various colours. Additional evidence,
too, is provided, in the fact that when selecting the type of
head for their postage stamp the Government of Newfoundland
chose the Landseer dog. Therefore, there are very strong
arguments against the claim that the true variety is essentially
black.
However that may be, there are now two established
varieties, the black and the white and black. There are also
bronze-coloured dogs, but they are rare and are not favoured.
It is stated, however, that puppies of that colour are generally
the most promising in all other respects.
The black variety of the Newfoundland is essentially black
in colour ; but this does not mean that there may be no other
colour, for most black Newfoundlands have some white marks,
and these are not considered objectionable, so long as they
are limited to white hairs on the chest, toes, or the tip of the
tail. In fact, a white marking on the chest is said to be
typical of the true breed. Any white on the head or body
would place the dog in the other than black variety. The
black colour should preferably be of a dull jet appearance
which approximates to brown. In the other than black
class, there may be black and tan, bronze, and white and
black. The latter predominates, and in this colour, beauty
of marking is very important. The head should be black
with a white muzzle and blaze, and the body and legs should
THE NEWFOUNDLAND 41
be white with large patches of black on the saddle and quarters,
with possibly other small black spots on the body and legs.
Apart from colour, the varieties should conform to the
same standard. The head should be broad and massive,
but in no sense heavy in appearance. The muzzle should
be short, square, and clean cut, eyes rather wide apart, deep
set, dark and small, not showing any haw ; ears small, with
close side carriage, covered with fine short hair (there should
be no fringe to the ears), expression full of intelligence, dignity,
and kindness.
The body should be long, square, and massive, loins strong
and well filled ; chest deep and broad ; legs quite straight,
somewhat short in proportion to the length of the body, and
powerful, with round bone well covered with muscle ; feet large,
round, and close. The tail should be only long enough to
reach just below the hocks, free from kink, and never curled
over the back. The quality of the coat is very important ;
the coat should be very dense, with plenty of undercoat ;
the outer coat somewhat harsh and quite straight. A curly
coat is very objectionable. A dog with a good coat may be
in the water for a considerable time without getting wet on
the skin.
The appearance generally should indicate a dog of great
strength, and very active for his build and size, moving freely
with the body swung loosely between the legs, which gives
a slight roll in gait. This has been compared to a sailor's
roll, and is typical of the breed.
As regards size, the Newfoundland Club standard gives
140 Ibs. to 120 Ibs. weight for a dog, and no Ibs. to 120 Ibs.
for a bitch, with an average height at the shoulder of 27 inches
and 25 inches respectively ; but it is doubtful whether dogs
in proper condition do conform to both requirements. At
any rate, the writer is unable to trace any prominent New-
foundlands which do, and it would be safe to assume that for
dogs of the weights specified, the height should be quite
29 inches for dogs, and 27 inches for bitches. A dog weighing
42 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
150 Ibs. and measuring 29 inches in height at the shoulder
would necessarily be long in body to be in proportion, and
would probably much nearer approach the ideal form of a
Newfoundland than a taller dog.
In that respect Newfoundlands have very much improved
during the past quarter of a century. Twenty-five years ago,
the most noted dogs were stated as a rule to be well over
30 inches in height, but their weight for height would indicate
legginess, which is an abomination in a Newfoundland. A
29-inch Newfoundland is quite tall enough, and even that height
should not be gained at the expense of type and symmetry.
The white and black variety are, as a rule, slightly taller,
smaller in loin and longer in head, but these differences in the
two varieties are being rapidly removed, and at no distant
date the white and black variety will probably be as correct
in type and symmetry as the black variety now is.
For very many years the black variety has been the better in
type ; and in breeding, if blacks are desired, it will be safer
as a general rule to insist upon the absence of white and black
blood in any of the immediate ancestors of the sire and dam.
But if, on the contrary, white and black dogs are required,
the proper course is to make judicious crosses between the
black and white, and black varieties, and destroy any black
puppies, unless they are required for further crosses with
white and black blood. In any case the first cross is likely
to produce both black and mis-marked white and black
puppies ; but the latter, if bred back to the white and black
blood, would generally produce well-marked white and black
Newfoundlands.
In mating, never be guided solely by the good points of the
dog and bitch. It is very desirable that they should both
have good points, the more good ones the better, but it is
more important to ensure that they are dissimilar in their
defects, and, if possible, that in neither case is there a very
objectionable defect, especially if such defect was also apparent
in the animal's sire or dam.
THE NEWFOUNDLAND 43
It is, therefore, important to study what were the good,
and still more so the bad, points in the parents and grand-
parents. If you do not know these, other Newfoundland
breeders will willingly give information, and any trouble
involved in tracing the knowledge required will be amply
repaid in the results, and probably save great disappointment.
When rearing puppies give them soft food, such as well-
boiled rice and milk, as soon as they will lap, and, shortly
afterwards, scraped lean meat. Newfoundland puppies
require plenty of meat to induce proper growth. The puppies
should increase in weight at the rate of 3 Ibs. a week, and this
necessitates plenty of flesh, bone and muscle-forming food,
plenty of meat, both raw and cooked. Milk is also good,
but it requires to be strengthened with Plasmon, or casein.
The secret of growing full-sized dogs with plenty of bone and
substance is to get a good start from birth, good feeding,
warm, dry quarters, and freedom for the puppies to move
about and exercise themselves as they wish. Forced exercise
may make them go wrong on their legs. Medicine should not
be required except for worms, and the puppies should be
physicked for these soon after they are weaned, and again
when three or four months old, or before that if they are not
thriving. If free from worms, Newfoundland puppies will
be found quite hardy, and, under proper conditions of food
and quarters, they are easy to rear.
CHAPTER VI
THE GREAT DANE
THE origin of the Great Dane, b'ke that of many other varie-
ties of dogs, is so obscure that all researches have only resulted
in speculative theories, but the undoubted antiquity of this
dog is proved by the fact that representatives of a breed
sufficiently similar to be considered his ancestors are found
on some of the oldest Egyptian monuments.
A few years ago a controversy arose on the breed's proper
designation, when the Germans claimed for it the title
" Deutsche Dogge." Germany had several varieties of big
dogs, such as the Hatzriide, Saufanger, Ulmer Dogge, and
Rottweiler Metzgerhund ; but contemporaneously with
these there existed, as in other countries in Europe, another
very big breed, but much nobler and more thoroughbred,
known as the Great Dane. When after the war of 1870
national feeling was pulsating very strongly in the veins of re-
united Germany, the German cynologists were on the look-
out for a national dog, and for that purpose the Great Dane
was re-christened " Deutsche Dogge," and elected as the
champion of German Dogdom. For a long time all these
breeds had, no doubt, been indiscriminately crossed.
The Great Dane was introduced into this country spas-
modically some thirty-five years ago, when he was commonly
referred to as the Boarhound, or the German Mastiff, and for
a time the breed had to undergo a probationary period in the
" Foreign Class " at dog shows, but it soon gained in public
favour, and in the early 'eighties a Great Dane Club was
formed, and the breed has since become one of the most
popular of the larger dogs.
44
THE GREAT DANE 45
The Kennel Club has classed the Great Dane amongst the
Non-Sporting dogs, probably because with us he cannot
find a quarry worthy of his mettle ; but, for all that, he has
the instincts and qualifications of a sporting dog, and he has
proved himself particularly valuable for hunting big game in
hot climates, which he stands very well.
Respecting the temperament of the Great Dane and his
suitability as a companion writers have gone to extremes in
praise and condemnation. In his favour it must be said that
in natural intelligence he is surpassed by very few other
dogs. He has a most imposing figure, and does not, like some
other big breeds, slobber from his mouth, which is a parti-
cularly unpleasant peculiarity when a dog is kept in the
house. On the other hand, it must be admitted that with al-
most the strength of a tiger he combines the excitability of a
terrier, and no doubt a badly trained Great Dane is a very
dangerous animal. It is not sufficient to teach him in the
haphazard way which might be successful in getting a small
dog under control, but even as a companion he ought to be
trained systematically, and, considering his marked intelli-
gence, this is not difficult of accomplishment.
The Great Dane attains his full development in about a
year and a half to two years, and, considering that puppies
have to build up in that time a very big skeleton and straight
limbs, special attention must be given to the rearing of them.
The dam whelps frequently eight puppies, and sometimes
even a few more. Mr. Larke's Princess Thor had a litter of
seventeen, but even eight is too great a number for a bitch
to suckle in a breed where great size is a desideratum. Not
more than four, or at the outside five, should be left with the
bitch ; the others should be put to a foster mother, or if they
are weaklings or foul-marked, it is best to destroy them.
After the puppies are weaned, their food should be of bone-
making quality, and they require ample space for exercise
and play. Nothing is worse than to take the youngsters for
forced marches before their bones have become firm.
46 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
Before giving the description and standard which have been
adopted by the Great Dane Clubs, a few remarks on some of
the leading points will be useful. The general characteristic
of the Great Dane is a combination of grace and power, and
therefore the lightness of the Greyhound, as well as the heavi-
ness of the Mastiff, must be avoided.
The head should be powerful, but at the same time show
quality by its nice modelling.
The eyes should be intelligent and vivacious, but not have
the hard expression of the terrier. The distance between
the eyes is of great importance ; if too wide apart they give
the dog a stupid appearance, and if too close he has a treacher-
ous look.
Another very important point is the graceful carriage of
the tail. When it is curled over the back it makes an other-
wise handsome dog look mean, and a tail that curls at the
end like a corkscrew is also very ugly. In former times
" faking " was not infrequently resorted to to correct a faulty
tail carriage, but it is easily detected. Great Danes sometimes
injure the end of the tail by hitting it against a hard substance,
and those with a good carriage of tail are most liable to this
because in excitement they slash it about, whereas the faulty
position of the tail, curled over the back, insures immunity
from harm.
Until recently British Great Dane breeders and exhibitors
have paid very little attention to colour, on the principle that,
like a good horse, a good Great Dane cannot be a bad colour.
The English clubs, however, have now in this particular also
adopted the German standard. The orthodox colours are
brindle, fawn, blue, black, and harlequin. In the brindle
dogs the ground colour should be any shade from light yellow
to dark red-yellow on which the brindle appears in darker
stripes. The harlequins have on a pure white ground fairly
large black patches, which must be of irregular shape, broken
up as if they had been torn, and not have rounded outlines.
When brindle Great Danes are continuously bred together,
THE GREAT DANE 47
it has been found that they get darker, and that the peculiar
" striping " disappears, and in that case the introduction of a
good fawn into the strain is advisable. The constant mating
of harlequins has the tendency to make the black patches
disappear, and the union with a good black Great Dane will
prevent the loss of colour.
The following is the official description issued by the
Great Dane Club : —
General Appearance — The Great Dane is not so heavy or massive
as the Mastiff, nor should he too nearly approach the Greyhound type.
Remarkable in size and very muscular, strongly though elegantly built ;
the head and neck should be carried high, and the tail in line with the
back, or slightly upwards, but not curled over the hind-quarters.
Elegance of outline and grace of form are most essential to a Dane ;
size is absolutely necessary ; but there must be that alertness of ex-
pression and briskness of movement without which the Dane character
is lost. He should have a look of dash and daring, of being ready to
go anywhere and do anything. Temperament — The Great Dane is
good-tempered, affectionate, and faithful to his master, not demon-
strative with strangers ; intelligent, courageous, and always alert.
His value as a guard is unrivalled. He is easily controlled when well
trained, but he may grow savage if confined too much, kept on chain,
or ill treated. Height — The minimum height of an adult dog should
be 30 ins. ; that of a bitch, 28 ins. Weight — The minimum weight of
an adult dog should be 120 Ibs. ; that of a bitch, 100 Ibs. The greater
height and weight to be preferred, provided that quality and proportion
are also combined. Head — Taken altogether, the head should give
the idea of great length and strength of jaw. The muzzle, or foreface,
is broad, and the skull proportionately narrow, so that the whole head,
when viewed from above and in front, has the appearance of equal
breadth throughout. Length of Head — The entire length of head varies
with the height of the dog, 13 ins. from the tip of the nose to the back
of the occiput is a good measurement for a dog of 32 ins. at the shoulder.
The length from the end of the nose to the point between the eyes should
be about equal, or preferably of greater length than from this point
to the back of the occiput. Skull — The skull should be flat rather than
domed, and have a slight indentation running up the centre, the
occipital peak not prominent. There should be a decided rise or brow
over the eyes, but no abrupt stop between them. Face — The face
should be chiselled well and foreface long, of equal depth throughout,
and well filled in below the eyes with no appearance of being pinched.
Muscles of the Cheek — The muscles of the cheeks should be quite flat,
with no lumpiness or cheek bumps, the angle of the jaw-bone well
defined. Lips — The lips should hang quite square in front, forming a
right angle with the upper line of foreface. Underline — The underline
of the head, viewed in profile, runs almost in a straight line from the
corner of the lip to the corner of the jawbone, allowing for the fold of the
48 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
lip, but with no loose skin to hang down. Jaw — The lower jaw should
be about level, or at any rate not project more than the sixteenth of an
inch. Nose and Nostrils — The bridge of the nose should be very wide,
with a slight ridge where the cartilage joins the bone. (This is quite
a characteristic of the breed.) The nostrils should be large, wide,
and open, giving a blunt look to the nose. A butterfly or flesh-coloured
nose is not objected to in harlequins. Ears — The ears should be small,
set high on the skull, and carried slightly erect, with the tips falling
forward. Neck — Next to the head, the neck is one of the chief char-
acteristics. It should be long, well arched, and quite clean and free
from loose skin, held well up, snakelike in carriage, well set in the
shoulders, and the junction of head and neck well defined. Shoulders
— The shoulders should be muscular but not loaded, and well sloped
back, with the elbows well under the body, so that, when viewed in
front, the dog does not stand too wide. Fore-legs and Feet — The fore-
legs should be perfectly straight, with big flat bone. The feet large
and round, the toes well arched and close, the nails strong and curved.
Body — The body is very deep, with ribs well sprung and belly well
drawn up. Back and Loins — The back and loins are strong, the latter
slightly arched, as in the Greyhound. Hind-Quarters — The hind-quar-
ters and thighs are extremely muscular, giving the idea of great strength
and galloping power. The second thigh is long and well developed
as in a Greyhound, and the hocks set low, turning neither out nor in.
Tall — The tail is strong at the root and ends in a fine point, reaching to
or just below the hocks. It should be carried, when the dog is in
action, in a straight line level with the back, slightly curved towards
the end, but should not curl over the back. Coat — The hair is short
and dense, and sleek-looking, and in no case should it incline to coarse-
ness. Gait or Action — The gait should be lithe, springy, and free,
the action high. The hocks should move very freely, and the head
should be held well up. Colour — The colours are brindle, fawn, blue,
black, and harlequin. The harlequin should have jet black patches
and spots on a pure white ground ; grey patches are admissible but
not desired ; but fawn or brindle shades are objectionable.
CHAPTER VII
THE DALMATIAN
BEFORE the Kennel Club found it necessary to insist upon a
precise definition of each breed, the Dalmatian was known as
the Coach Dog, a name appropriately derived from his fond-
ness for following a carriage, for living in and about the
stable, and for accompanying his master's horses at exercise.
As an adjunct to the carriage he is peculiarly suitable, for in
fine weather he will follow between the wheels for long dis-
tances without showing fatigue, keeping easy pace with the
best horses. He appears almost to prefer equine to human
companionship, and he is as fond of being among horses as
the Collie is of being in the midst of sheep. Yet he is of
friendly disposition, and it must be insisted that he is by
no means so destitute of intelligence as he is often represented
to be. On the contrary, he is capable of being trained into
remarkable cleverness, as circus proprietors have discovered.
The earliest authorities agree that this breed was first
introduced from Dalmatia, and that he was brought into this
country purely on account of his sporting proclivities. Of late
years, however, these dogs have so far degenerated as to be
looked upon simply as companions, or as exhibition dogs,
for only very occasionally can it be found that any pains
have been taken to train them systematically for gun-work.
The first of the variety which appeared in the show ring
was Mr. James Fawdry's Captain, in 1873. At that period
they were looked upon as a novelty, and, though the generosity
and influence of a few admirers ensured separate classes being
provided for the breed at the leading shows, it did not necessi-
tate the production of such perfect specimens as those which
E 49
50 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
a few years afterwards won prizes. At the first they were
more popular in the North of England than in any other part
of Great Britain. It was at Kirkby Lonsdale that Dr. James's
Spotted Dick was bred, and an early exploiter of the breed who
made his dogs famous was Mr. Newby Wilson, of Lakeside,
Windermere. He was indebted to Mr. Hugo Droesse, of
London, for the foundation of his stud, inasmuch as it was
from Mr. Droesse that he purchased Ch. Acrobat and Ch.
Berolina. At a later date the famed Coming Still and Prince
IV. were secured from the same kennel, the latter dog being
the progenitor of most of the best liver-spotted specimens that
have attained notoriety as prize-winners down to the present
day.
In appearance the Dalmatian should be very similar to a
Pointer except in head and marking. Still, though not so
long in muzzle nor so pendulous in lip as a Pointer, there
should be no coarseness or common look about the skull, a
fault which is much too prevalent. Then, again, some judges
do not attach sufficient importance to the eyelids, or rather
sears, which should invariably be edged round with black
or brown. Those which are flesh-coloured in this particular
should be discarded, however good they may be in other re-
spects. The density and pureness of colour, in both blacks
and browns, is of great importance, but should not be per-
mitted to outweigh the evenness of the distribution of spots
on the body ; no black patches, or even mingling of the spots,
should meet with favour, any more than a ring-tail or a clumsy-
looking, heavy-shouldered dog should command attention.
The darker-spotted variety usually prevails in a cross
between the two colours, the offspring very seldom having the
liver-coloured markings. The uninitiated may be informed
that Dalmatian puppies are always born pure white. The
clearer and whiter they are the better they are likely to be.
There should not be the shadow of a mark or spot on them.
When about a fortnight old, however, they generally develop
a dark ridge on the belly, and the spots will then begin to
THE DALMATIAN 51
show themselves ; first about the neck and ears, and after-
wards along the back, until at about the sixteenth day the
markings are distinct over the body, excepting only the tail,
which frequently remains white for a few weeks longer.
The standard of points as laid down by the leading club is
sufficiently explicit to be easily understood, and is as follows : —
General Appearance — The Dalmatian should represent a strong,
muscular, and active dog, symmetrical in outline, and free from coarse-
ness and lumber, capable of great endurance combined with a fair
amount of speed. Head — The head should be of a fair length ; the skull
flat, rather broad between the ears, and moderately well defined at the
temples — i.e. exhibiting a moderate amount of stop and not in one
straight line from the nose to the occiput bone as required in a Bull-
terrier. It should be entirely free from wrinkle. Muzzle — The muzzle
should be long and powerful ; the lips clean, fitting the jaws moderately
close. Eyes — The eyes should be set moderately well apart, and of
medium size, round, bright, and sparkling, with an intelligent ex-
pression, their colour greatly depending on the markings of the dog.
In the black spotted variety the eyes should be dark (black or dark
brown), in the liver-spotted variety they should be light (yellow or
light brown). The Rim round the Eyes in the black-spotted variety
should be black, in the liver-spotted variety brown — never flesh-colour
in either. Ears — The ears should be set on rather high, of moderate
size, rather wide at the base, and gradually tapering to a round point.
They should be carried close to the head, be thin and fine in texture,
and always spotted — the more profusely the better. Nose— The nose
in the black-spotted variety should always be black, in the liver-
spotted variety always brown. Neck and Shoulders — The neck should
be fairly long, nicely arched, light and tapering, and entirely free from
throatiness. The shoulders should be moderately oblique, clean, and
muscular, denoting speed. Body, Back, Chest, and Loins — The chest
should not be too wide, but very deep and capacious, ribs moderately
well sprung, never rounded like barrel hoops (which would indicate
want of speed), the back powerful, loin strong, muscular, and slightly
arched. Legs and Feet — The legs and feet are of great importance.
The fore-legs should be perfectly straight, strong, and heavy in bone ;
elbows close to the body ; fore-feet round, compact with well-arched
toes (cat-footed), and round, tough, elastic pads. In the hind-legs the
muscles should be clean, though well-defined ; the hocks well let
down. Nails — The nails in the black-spotted variety should be black
and white in the liver-spotted variety brown and white. Tail — The tail
should not be too long, strong at the insertion, and gradually tapering
towards the end, free from coarseness. It should not be inserted too
low down, but carried with a slight curve upwards, and never curled.
It should be spotted, the more profusely the better. Coat — The coat
should be short, hard, dense and fine, sleek and glossy in appearance,
but neither woolly nor silky. Colour and Markings — These are most
important points. The ground colour in both varieties should be
52 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
pure white, very decided, and not intermixed. The colour of the spots
of the black-spotted variety should be black, the deeper and richer
the black the better ; in the liver-spotted variety they should be brown.
The spots should not intermingle, but be as round and well-defined as
possible, the more distinct the better ; in size they should be from that
of a sixpence to a florin. The spots on head, face, ears, legs, tail, and
extremities to be smaller than those on the body. Weight — Dogs*
55 Ibs. ; bitches, 50 Ibs.
CHAPTER VIII
THE COLLIE
THE townsman who knows the shepherd's dog only as he is to
be seen, out of his true element, threading his confined way
through crowded streets where sheep are not, can have small
appreciation of his wisdom and his sterling worth. To know
him properly, one needs to see him at work in a country where
sheep abound, to watch him adroitly rounding up his scattered
charges on a wide-stretching moorland, gathering the wander-
ing wethers into close order and driving them before him in
unbroken company to the fold ; handling the stubborn pack
in a narrow lane, or holding them in a corner of a field, im-
mobile under the spell of his vigilant eye. He is at his best as
a worker, conscious of the responsibility reposed in him ;
a marvel of generalship, gentle, judicious, slow to anger,
quick to action ; the priceless helpmeet of his master — the
most useful member of all the tribe of dogs.
Few dogs possess the fertile, resourceful brain of the Collie.
He can be trained to perform the duties of other breeds.
He makes an excellent sporting dog, and can be taught to do
the work of the Pointer and the Setter, as well as that of the
Water Spaniel and the Retriever. He is clever at hunting,
having an excellent nose, is a good vermin-killer, and a most
faithful watch, guard, and companion. Major Richardson,
who for some years has been successful in training dogs to
ambulance work on the field of battle, has carefully tested
the abilities of various breeds in discovering wounded soldiers,
and he gives to the Collie the decided preference.
It is, however, as an assistant to the flock-master, the
53
54 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
farmer, the butcher, and the drover that the Collie takes his
most appropriate place in every-day life. The shepherd
on his daily rounds, travelling over miles of moorland, could
not well accomplish his task without his Collie's skilful aid.
One such dog, knowing what is expected of him, can do
work which would otherwise require the combined efforts
of a score of men.
Little is known with certainty of the origin of the Collie,
but his cunning and his outward appearance would seem to
indicate a relationship with the wild dog. Buffon was of
opinion that he was the true dog of nature, the stock and
model of the whole canine species. He considered the
Sheepdog superior in instinct and intelligence to all other
breeds, and that, with a character in which education has
comparatively little share, he is the only animal born perfectly
trained for the service of man.
One of the most perfect working Collies in Scotland to-day
is the old-fashioned black and white type, which is the most
popular among the shepherds of Scotland. At the shows
this type of dog is invariably at the top of the class. He is
considered the most tractable, and is certainly the most agile.
Second to this type in favour is the smooth-coated variety,
a very hard, useful dog, well adapted for hill work and usually
very fleet of foot. He is not so sweet in temper as the black
and white, and is slow to make friends. In the Ettrick
and Yarrow district the smooth is a popular sheepdog. The
shepherds maintain that he climbs the hills more swiftly
than the rough, and in the heavy snowstorms his clean,
unfeathered legs do not collect and carry the snow. He has
a fuller coat than the show specimens usually carry, but he
has the same type of head, eye, and ears, only not so well
developed.
Then there is the Scottish bearded, or Highland Collie,
less popular still with the flock-master, a hardy-looking dog
in outward style, but soft in temperament, and many of them
make better cattle than sheep dogs. This dog and the Old
THE COLLIE 55
English Sheepdog are much alike in appearance, but that
the bearded is a more racy animal, with a head resembling
that of the Dandie Dinmont rather than the square head of the
Bobtail. The strong-limbed bearded Collie is capable of
getting through a good day's work, but is not so steady nor
so wise as the old-fashioned black and white, or even the
smooth coated variety. He is a favourite with the butcher
and drover who have sometimes a herd of troublesome cattle
to handle, and he is well suited to rough and rocky ground,
active in movement, and as sure-footed as the wild goat.
He can endure cold and wet without discomfort, and can live
on the Highland hills when others less sturdy would suc-
cumb. In the standard adopted for judging the breed, many
points are given for good legs and feet, bone, body, and coat,
while head and ears are not of great importance. Movement,
size, and general appearance have much weight. The colour
is varied in this breed. Cream-coloured specimens are not
uncommon, and snow white with orange or black markings
may often be seen, but the popular colour is grizzly grey.
Unfortunately the coats of many are far too soft and the
undercoat is frequently absent.
Working trials to test the skill of the sheepdog have become
frequent fixtures among shepherds and farmers within recent
years, and these competitions have done much towards the
improvement of the working qualities of the Collie. In
general the excelling competitors at working trials are the
rough-coated black and white Collies. The smooth-coated
variety and the Beardie are less frequent winners. The
handsome and distinguished gentlemen of the Ch. Wishaw
Leader type are seldom seen on the trial field, although former-
ly such a dog as Ch. Ormskirk Charlie might be successfully
entered with others equally well bred from the kennels of that
good trainer and fancier, Mr. Piggin, of Long Eaton. A
good working Collie, however, is not always robed in elegance.
What is desirable is that the shepherd and farmer should fix
a standard of points, and breed as near as possible to that
56 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
standard, as the keepers of the show Collie breed to an ac-
knowledged type of perfection. Nevertheless, from a bad
worker of good descent many an efficient worker might be
produced by proper mating, and those of us skilled in the
breeding of Collies know the importance of a well-considered
process of selection from unsullied strains.
It is a pity that the hard-working dog of the shepherd does
not receive the attention in the way of feeding and groom-
ing that is bestowed on the ornamental show dog. He is
too often neglected in these particulars. Notwithstanding
this neglect, however, the average life of the working dog is
longer by a year or two than that of his more beautiful cousin.
Pampering and artificial living are not to be encouraged ;
but, on the other hand, neglect has the same effect of shorten-
ing the span of life, and bad feeding and inattention to clean-
liness provoke the skin diseases which are far too prevalent.
There is not a more graceful and physically beautiful dog
to be seen than the show Collie of the present period. Produced
from the old working type, he is now practically a distinct
breed. His qualities in the field are not often tested, but
he is a much more handsome and attractive animal, and his
comeliness will always win for him many admiring friends.
The improvements in his style and appearance have been
alleged to be due to an admixture with Gordon Setter blood.
In the early years of exhibitions he showed the shorter head,
heavy ears, and much of the black and tan colouring which
might seem to justify such a supposition ; but there is no evi-
dence that the cross was ever purposely sought. Gradually
the colour was lightened to sable and a mingling of black,
white, and tan came into favour. The shape of the head was
also improved. These improvements in beauty of form and
colour have been largely induced by the many Collie clubs
now in existence not only in the United Kingdom and America,
but also in South Africa and Germany, by whom the standards
of points have been perfected. Type has been enhanced,
the head with the small ornamental ears that now prevail is
THE COLLIE 57
more classical ; and scientific cultivation and careful selec-
tion of typical breeding stock have achieved what may be
considered the superlative degree of quality, without appre-
ciable loss of stamina, size, or substance.
Twenty years or so ago, when Collies were becoming fashion-
able, the rich sable coat with long white mane was in highest
request. In 1888 Ch. Metchley Wonder captivated his
admirers by these rich qualities. He was the first Collie for
which a very high purchase price was paid, Mr. Sam Bodding-
ton having sold him to Mr. A. H. Megson, of Manchester, for
£530. High prices then became frequent. Mr. Megson paid as
much as £1,600 to Mr. Tom Stretch for Ormskirk Emerald.
No Collie has had a longer or more brilliant career than
Emerald, and although he was not esteemed as a successful
sire, yet he was certainly the greatest favourite among our
show dogs of recent years.
Mr. Megson has owned many other good specimens of the
breed, both rough and smooth. In the same year that he
bought Metchley Wonder, he gave £350 for a ten-months'
puppy, Caractacus. Sable and white is his favourite com-
bination of colour, a fancy which was shared some years ago
by the American buyers, who would have nothing else.
Black, tan, and white became more popular in England, and
while there is now a good market for these in the United
States the sable and white remains the favourite of the
American buyers and breeders.
The best Collie of modern times was undoubtedly Ch.
Squire of Tytton, which went to America for £1,250. A
golden sable with quality, nice size, and profuse coat, he had
an unbeaten record in this country. Another of our best
and most typical rough Collies was Ch. Wishaw Leader.
This beautiful dog, who had a most distinguished show
career, was a well-made black, tan, and white, with an enor-
mous coat and beautiful flowing white mane ; one of the most
active movers, displaying quality all through, and yet having
plenty of substance. He had that desirable distinction of
58 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
type which is so often lacking in our long-headed Collies.
Ormskirk Emerald's head was of good length and well bal-
anced, the skull sufficiently flat ; his eye was almond-shaped
and dark-brown in colour, his expression keen and wise,
entirely free from the soft look which we see on many of the
faces to-day. Historical examples of the show Collie have
also been seen in Champions Christopher, Anfield Model,
Sappho of Tytton, Parbold Piccolo, and Woodmanstern
Tartan.
In recent years the smooth Collie has gained in popularity
quite as certainly as his more amply attired relative. Origin-
ally he was a dog produced by mating the old-fashioned black
and white with the Greyhound. But the Greyhound type,
which was formerly very marked, can scarcely be discerned
to-day. Still, it is not infrequent that a throw-back is dis-
covered in a litter producing perhaps a slate-coloured, a pure,
white, or a jet black individual, or that an otherwise perfect
smooth Collie should betray the heavy ears or the eye of a
Greyhound. At one time this breed of dog was much culti-
vated in Scotland, but nowadays the breeding of smooths is
almost wholly confined to the English side of the Border.
The following is the accepted description of the Perfect
Collie :—
The Skull should be flat, moderately wide between the ears, and
gradually tapering towards the eyes. There should only be a slight
depression at stop. The width of skull necessarily depends upon
combined length of skull and muzzle ; and the whole must be
considered in connection with the size of the dog. The cheek should
not be full or prominent. The Muzzle should be of fair length,
tapering to the nose, and must not show weakness or be snipy or
lippy. Whatever the colour of the dog may be, the nose must be
black. The Teeth should be of good size, sound and level ; very slight
unevenness is permissible. The Jaws — Clean cut and powerful. The
Eyes are a very important feature, and give expression to the dog ;
they should be of medium size, set somewhat obliquely, of almond
shape, and of a brown colour except in the case of merles, when the
eyes are frequently (one or both) blue and white or china ; expression
full of intelligence, with a quick alert look when listening. The Ears
should be small and moderately wide at the base, and placed not too
close together but on the top of the skull and not on the side of the
head. When in repose they should be usually carried thrown back.
I I • « C
» C v
t • * fct
THE COLLIE 59
but when on the alert brought forward and carried semi-erect, with
tips slightly drooping in attitude of listening. The Neck should be
muscular, powerful and of fair length, and somewhat arched. The
Body should be strong, with well sprung ribs, chest deep, fairly broad
behind the shoulders, which should be sloped, loins very powerful.
The dog should be straight in front. The Fore-Legs should be straight
and muscular, neither in nor out at elbows, with a fair amount of bone ;
the forearm somewhat fleshy, the pasterns showing flexibility without
weakness. The Hind-Legs should be muscular at the thighs, clean and
sinewy below the hocks, with well bent stifles. The Feet should be
oval in shape, soles well padded, and the toes arched and close together.
The hind feet less arched, the hocks well let down and powerful. The
Brush should be moderately long carried low when the dog is quiet*
with a slight upward " swirl " at the end, and may be gaily carried
when the dog is excited, but not over the back. The Coat should be
very dense, the outer coat harsh to the touch, the inner or under coat
soft, furry, and very close, so close as almost to hide the skin. The
mane and frill should be very abundant, the mask or face smooth, as
also the ears at the tips, but they should carry more hair towards the
base ; the fore-legs well feathered, the hind-legs above the hocks
profusely so ; but below the hocks fairly smooth, although all heavily
coated Collies are liable to grow a slight feathering. Hair on the brush
very profuse. Colour in the Collie is immaterial. In General Character
he is a lithe active dog, his deep chest showing lung power, his neck
strength, his sloping shoulders and well bent hocks indicating speed,
and his expression high intelligence. He should be a fair length on
the leg, giving him more of a racy than a cloddy appearance. In a
few words, a Collie should show endurance, activity, and intelligence,
with free and true action. In height dogs should be 22 ins. to 24 ins.
at the shoulders, bitches 20 ins. to 22 ins. The weight for dogs is 45
to 65 Ibs., bitches 40 to 55 Ibs. The Smooth Collie only differs from
the rough in its coat, which should be hard, dense and quite smooth.
The Main Faults to be avoided are a domed skull, high peaked occipital
bone, heavy, pendulous or pricked ears, weak jaws, snipy muzzle,
full staring or light eyes, crooked legs, large, flat or hare feet, curly or
soft coat, cow hocks, and brush twisted or carried right over the back,,
under or overshot mouth.
CHAPTER IX
THE OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOG
INTELLIGENT and picturesque, workmanlike and affectionate,
the Old English Sheepdog combines, in his shaggy person, the
attributes at once of a drover's drudge and of an ideal com-
panion. Although the modern dog is seen less often than of
old performing his legitimate duties as a shepherd dog, there
is no ground whatever for supposing that he is a whit less
sagacious than the mongrels which have largely supplanted
him. The instincts of the race remain unchanged; but the
mongrel certainly comes cheaper.
Carefully handled in his youth, the bob-tail is unequalled as
a stock dog, and he is equally at home and efficient in charge
of sheep, of cattle, and of New Forest ponies. So deep-rooted
is the natural herding instinct of the breed that it is a thousand
pities that the modern shepherd so frequently puts up with an
inferior animal in place of the genuine article.
Nor is it as a shepherd dog alone that the bob-tail shines in
the field. His qualifications as a sporting dog are excellent,
and he makes a capital retriever, being usually under excellent
control, generally light-mouthed, and taking very readily to
water. His natural inclination to remain at his master's heel
and his exceptional sagacity and quickness of perception will
speedily develop him, in a sportsman's hands, into a first-rate
dog to shoot over.
These points in his favour should never be lost sight of,
because his increasing popularity on the show bench is apt to
mislead many of his admirers into the belief that he is an
ornamental rather than a utility dog. Nothing could be
60
THE OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOG 61
further from the fact. Nevertheless, he has few equals as a
house dog, being naturally cleanly in his habits, affectionate
in his disposition, an admirable watch, and an extraordinarily
adaptable companion.
As to his origin, there is considerable conflict of opinion,
owing to the natural difficulty of tracing him back to that
period when the dog-fancier, as he flourishes to-day, was all
unknown, and the voluminous records of a watchful Kennel
Club were still undreamed of. From time immemorial a
sheepdog, of one kind or another, has presided over the welfare
of flocks and herds in every land. Probably, in an age less
peaceable than ours, this canine guardian was called upon,
in addition to his other duties, to protect his charges from
wolves and bears and other marauders. In that case it is very
possible that the early progenitors of the breed were built upon
a larger and more massive scale than is the sheepdog of to-
day.
The herd dogs of foreign countries, such as the Calabrian of
the Pyrenees, the Himalayan drover's dog, and the Russian
Owtchah, are all of them massive and powerful animals, far
larger and fiercer than our own, though each of them, and
notably the Owtchah, has many points in common with the
English bob-tail. It is quite possible that all of them may
trace their origin, at some remote period, to the same ancestral
strain. Indeed, it is quite open to argument that the founders
of our breed, as it exists to-day, were imported into England at
some far-off date when the duties of a sheepdog demanded
of him fighting qualities no longer necessary.
Throughout the nineteenth century, one finds conclusive
evidence that the breed was very fairly represented in many
parts of England, notably in Suffolk, Hampshire, and Dorset-
shire, and also in Wales. Youatt writes of it in 1845, Richard-
son in 1847, and " Stonehenge " in 1859. Their descriptions
vary a little, though the leading characteristics are much the
same, but each writer specially notes the exceptional sagacity
of the breed.
62 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
The dog was well known in Scotland, too, under the title of
the Bearded Collie, for there is little doubt that this last is
merely a variant of the breed. He differs, in point of fact,
chiefly by reason of possessing a tail, the amputation of which
is a recognised custom in England.
With regard to this custom, it is said that the drovers origin-
ated it. Their dogs, kept for working purposes, were immune
from taxation, and they adopted this method of distinguish-
ing the animals thus exempted. It has been argued, by
disciples of the Darwinian theory of inherited effects from
continued mutilations, that a long process of breeding from
tailless animals has resulted in producing puppies naturally
bob-tailed, and it is difficult, on any other hypothesis, to
account for the fact that many puppies are so born. It is
certainly a fact that one or two natural bob-tails are frequently
found in a litter of which the remainder are duly furnished with
well-developed tails.
From careful consideration of the weight of evidence, it
seems unlikely that the breed was originally a tailless one, but
the modern custom undoubtedly accentuates its picturesque-
ness by bringing into special prominence the rounded shaggy
quarters and the characteristic bear-like gait which dis-
tinguish the Old English Sheepdog.
Somewhere about the 'sixties there would appear to have
been a revival of interest in the bob-tail's welfare, and attempts
were made to bring him into prominence. In 1873 his ad-
mirers succeeded in obtaining for him a separate classification
at a recognised show, and at the Curzon Hall, at Birmingham,
in that year three temerarious competitors appeared to under-
go the ordeal of expert judgment. It was an unpromising
beginning, for Mr. M. B. Wynn, who officiated found their
quality so inferior that he contented himself with awarding a
second prize.
But from this small beginning important results were to
spring, and the Old English Sheepdog has made great strides
in popularity since then. At Clerkenwell, in 1905, the entries
THE OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOG 63
in his classes reached a total of over one hundred, and there
was no gainsaying the quality.
This satisfactory result is due in no small measure to the
initiative of the Old English Sheepdog Club, a society founded
in 1888, with the avowed intention of promoting the breeding
of the old-fashioned English Sheepdog, and of giving prizes at
various shows held under Kennel Club Rules.
The pioneers of this movement, so far as history records
their names, were Dr. Edwardes-Ker, an enthusiast both in
theory and in practice, from whose caustic pen dissentients
were wont to suffer periodical castigation ; Mr. W. G. Weager,
who has held office in the club for some twenty years ; Mrs.
Mayhew, who capably held her own amongst her fellow-
members of the sterner sex ; Mr. Freeman Lloyd, who wrote
an interesting pamphlet on the breed in 1889 ; and Messrs. J.
Thomas and Parry Thomas.
Theirs can have been no easy task at the outset, for it
devolved upon them to lay down, in a succinct and practical
form, leading principles for the guidance of future enthusiasts.
It runs thus : —
General Appearance — A strong, compact-looking dog of great sym-
metry, absolutely free from legginess, profusely coated all over, very
elastic in its gallop, but in walking or trotting he has a characteristic
ambling or pacing movement, and his bark should be loud, with a
peculiar pot casse ring in it. Taking him all round, he is a thick-set,
muscular, able-bodied dog, with a most intelligent expression, free
from all Poodle or Deerhound character. Skull — Capacious, and rather
squarely formed, giving plenty of room for brain power. The parts
over the eyes should be well arched and the whole well covered with
hair. Jaw — Fairly long, strong, square and truncated ; the stop should
be defined to avoid a Deerhound face. The attention of fudges is particu-
larly called to the above properties, as a long, narrow head is a deformity.
Eyes — Vary according to the colour of the dog, but dark or wall eyes
are to be preferred. Nose — Always black, large, and capacious.
Teeth — Strong and large, evenly placed, and level in opposition. Ears
— Small, and carried flat to side of head, coated moderately. Legs —
The fore-legs should be dead straight, with plenty of bone, removing the
body to a medium height from the ground, without approaching
legginess ; well coated all round. Feet — Small, round ; toes well
arched and pads thick and hard. Tail — Puppies requiring docking
must have an appendage left of one and a half to two inches and the
operation performed when not older than four days. Neck and Shoulders
64 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
— The neck should be fairly long, arched gracefully, and well coated
with hair ; the shoulders sloping and narrow at the points, the dog
standing lower at the shoulder than at the loin. Body — Rather short
and very compact, ribs well sprung, and brisket deep and capacious.
The loin should be very stout and gently arched, while the hind-
quarters should be round and muscular, and with well let down hocks,
and the hams densely coated with a thick long jacket in excess of any
other part. Coat — Profuse, and of good hard texture, not straight but
shaggy and free from curl. The undercoat should be a waterproof
pile, when not removed by grooming or season. Colour — Any shade
of grey, grizzle, blue or blue-merled, with or without white markings,
or in reverse ; any shade of brown or sable to be considered distinctly
objectionable and not to be encouraged. Height — Twenty-two inches
and upwards for dogs, slightly less for bitches. Type, character, and
symmetry are of the greatest importance, and on no account to be
sacrificed to size alone.
Turning to the questions of care and kennel management,
we may start with the puppy. It is obvious that where bone
and substance are matters of special desirability, it is essential
to build up in the infant what is to be expected of the adult.
For this reason it is a great mistake to allow the dam to bring
up too many by herself. To about six or seven she can do
justice, but a healthy bitch not infrequently gives birth to a
dozen or more. Under such circumstances the services of a
foster-mother are a cheap investment. By dividing the litter
the weaklings may be given a fair chance in the struggle for
existence, otherwise they receive scant consideration from
their stronger brethren.
At three or four days old the tails should be removed, as
near the rump as possible. The operation is easy to perform,
and if done with a sharp, clean instrument there is no danger
of after ill effects.
If the mother be kept on a very liberal diet, it will usually be
found that she will do all that is necessary for her family's
welfare for the first three weeks, by which time the pups have
increased prodigiously in size. They are then old enough to
learn to lap for themselves, an accomplishment which they
very speedily acquire. Beginning with fresh cow's milk for a
week, their diet may be gradually increased to Mellin's or
Benger's food, and later to gruel and Quaker Oats, their
THE OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOG 65
steadily increasing appetites being catered for by the simple
exercise of commonsense. Feed them little and often, about
five times a day, and encourage them to move about as much
as possible ; and see that they never go hungry, without allow-
ing them to gorge. Let them play until they tire, and sleep
until they hunger again, and they will be found to thrive and
grow with surprising rapidity. At six weeks old they can fend
for themselves, and shortly afterwards additions may be made
to their diet in the shape of paunches, carefully cleaned and
cooked, and Spratt's Puppy Rodnim. A plentiful supply of
fresh milk is still essential. Gradually the number of their
meals may be decreased, first to four a day, and later on to
three, until at six months old they verge on adolescence, and
may be placed upon the rations of the adult dog, two meals a
day.
Meanwhile, the more fresh air and sunshine, exercise, and
freedom they receive, the better will they prosper, but care
must be taken that they are never allowed to get wet. Their
sleeping-place especially must be thoroughly dry, well venti-
lated, and scrupulously clean.
As to the adult dog, his needs are three : he must be well fed,
well housed, and well exercised. Two meals a day suffice him,
but he likes variety, and the more his fare can be diversified
the better will he do justice to it. Biscuits, Rodnim, Flako,
meat, vegetables, paunches, and sheep's heads, with an occa-
sional big bone to gnaw, provide unlimited change, and the
particular tastes of individuals should be learned and catered
for.
As to the bob-tail's kennel, there is no need whatever for a
high-priced fancy structure. Any weatherproof building will
do, provided it be well ventilated and free from draughts. In
very cold weather a bed of clean wheat straw is desirable, in
summer the bare boards are best. In all weathers cleanliness
is an absolute essential, and a liberal supply of fresh water
should be always available.
Grooming is an important detail in a breed whose pictur-
66 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
esqueness depends so largely on the profuseness of their shaggy
coats, but there is a general tendency to overdo it. A good
stiff pair of dandy brushes give the best results, but the coats
must not be allowed to mat or tangle, which they have a
tendency to do if not properly attended to. Mats and tangles,
if taken in time, can generally be teased out with the fingers,
and it is the greatest mistake to try and drag them out with
combs. These last should be used as little as possible, and only
with the greatest care when necessary at all. An over-
groomed bob-tail loses half his natural charm. Far preferable
is a muddy, matted, rough-and-tumble-looking customer, with
his coat as Nature left it.
CHAPTER X
THE CHOW CHOW
THE Chow Chow is a dog of great versatility. He is a born
sportsman and loves an open-air life — a warrior, always ready
to accept battle, but seldom provoking it. He has a way of his
own with tramps, and seldom fails to induce them to continue
their travels. Yet withal he is tender-hearted, a friend of
children, an ideal companion, and often has a clever gift for
parlour tricks. In China, his fatherland, he is esteemed for
another quality — his excellence as a substitute for roast
mutton.
Though in his own country he is regarded as plebeian, just a
common cur, he is by no means a mongrel. That he is of
ancient lineage is proved by the fact that he always breeds true
to type. He yields to the Pekinese Spaniel the claim to be
the Royal dog of China, yet his blood must be of the bluest.
If you doubt it, look at his tongue.
Outwardly, the Chow worthily embodies the kind, faithful
heart and the brave spirit within. His compact body (weigh-
ing 40 Ibs. or more), with the beautiful fur coat and ruff, the
plume tail turned over on his back and almost meeting his
neck-ruff, the strong, straight legs and neat, catlike feet, gives
an impression of symmetry, power, and alertness. His hand-
some face wears a " scowl." This is the technical term for the
" no nonsense " look which deters strangers from undue
familiarity, though to friends his expression is kindness itself.
Though the Chow has many perfections, the perfect Chow
has not yet arrived. He nearly came with Ch. Chow VIII. —
long since dead, alas ! — and with Ch. Fu Chow, the best Chow
67
68 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
now living, his light coloured eyes being his only defect.
With many judges, however, this dog's black coat handicaps
him sadly in competition with his red brethren. Chow VIII.
is considered the best and most typical dog ever benched, not-
withstanding his somewhat round eyes. Almond eyes are of
course correct in Chinamen. Ch. Red Craze owns the head
which is perfect with the correct ear-carriage and broad muzzle,
and the scowl and characteristic expression of a good Chow.
Dark red is the accepted colour of the Chow. Modern
judges will not look twice at a light or parti -coloured dog, and
it is to be feared that if even Ch. Chow VIII. could revisit the
scenes of his bygone triumphs, his beautiful light markings
would prove a fatal bar to his success. The judges would be
quite wrong, but if you want a dog for show you must be sure
to get a good whole-coloured dark red. If, on the other hand,
you have a Chow as a companion and friend, do not be at all
troubled if his ruff, yoke, culottes and tail are white or cream-
coloured. These are natural, correct and typical marks, though
present-day fanciers are trying to " improve " them away.
A list of points as drawn up by the Chow Chow Club some
years ago is added. The points are fairly right, but the tongue
of a live Chow is never black. It should be blue, such a colour
as might result from a diet of bilberries.
POINTS OF THE CHOW CHOW : Head— Skull flat and broad, with
little stop, well filled out under the eyes. Muzzle — Moderate in length,
and broad from the eyes to the point (not pointed at the end like a
fox). Nose — Black, large and wide. (In cream or light-coloured
specimens, a pink nose is allowable.) Tongue — Black. Eyes — Dark
and small. (In a blue dog light colour is permissible.) Ears — Small,
pointed, and carried stiffly erect. They should be placed well forward
over the eyes, which gives the dog the peculiar characteristic ex-
pression of the breed — viz., a sort of scowl. Teeth — Strong and level.
Neck — Strong, full, set well on the shoulders, and slightly arched.
Shoulders — Muscular and sloping. Chest — Broad and deep. Back —
Short, straight, and strong. Loins — Powerful. Tail — Curled tightly
over the back. Fore-legs — Perfectly straight, of moderate length, and
with great bone. Hind-legs — Same as fore-legs, muscular and with hocks
well let down. Feet — Small, round and catlike, standing well on the
toes. Coat — Abundant, dense, straight, and rather coarse in texture,
with a soft woolly undercoat. Colour — Whole-coloured black, red,
yellow, blue, white, etc., not hi patches (the under part of tail and back
THE CHOW CHOW 69
of thighs frequently of a lighter colour). General Appearance — A
lively, compact, short coupled dog, well-knit in frame, with tail curled
well over the back. Disqualifying Points — Drop ears, red tongue,
tail not curled over back, white spots on coat, and red nose, except in
yellow or white specimens.
N.B. — Smooth Chows are governed by the same scale of points, except
that the coat is smooth.
As to the weight, bitches scale about 30 Ibs., but dogs are
heavier. Ch. Shylock weighed 47 J Ibs., and Red Craze 38 Ibs.
CHAPTER XI
THE POODLE
THE Poodle is commonly acknowledged to be the most wisely
intelligent of all members of the canine race. He is a scholar
and a gentleman ; but, in spite of his claims of long descent
and his extraordinary natural cleverness, he has never been
widely popular in this country as the Collie and the Fox-
Terrier are popular. There is a general belief that he is a fop,
whose time is largely occupied in personal embellishment,
and that he requires a great deal of individual attention in
the matter of his toilet. It may be true that to keep him
in exhibition order and perfect cleanliness his owner has need
to devote more consideration to him than is necessary in the
case of many breeds ; but in other respects he gives very
little trouble, and all who are attached to him are consistent
in their opinion that there is no dog so intensely interesting
and responsive as a companion. His qualities of mind and
his acute powers of reasoning are indeed so great that there
is something almost human in his attractiveness and his
devotion. His aptitude in learning is never denied, and many
are the stories told of his marvellous talent and versatility.
Not merely as a showman's dog has he distinguished himself.
He is something more than a mountebank of the booths,
trained to walk the tight rope and stand on his head. He is
an adept at performing tricks, but it is his alertness of brain
that places him apart from other animals. There is the
example of the famous Munito, who in 1818 perplexed the
Parisians by his cleverness with playing cards and his intricate
arithmetical calculations. Paris was formerly the home of
70
THE POODLE 71
most of the learned Poodles, and one remembers the instance
of the Poodle of the Pont Neuf , who had the habit of dirtying
the boots of the passers-by in order that his master — a shoe-
black stationed half-way across the bridge — might enjoy the
profit of cleaning them. In Belgium Poodles were systematic-
ally trained to smuggle valuable lace, which was wound round
their shaven bodies and covered with a false skin. These
dogs were schooled to a dislike of all men in uniform, and con-
sequently on their journey between Mechlin and the coast
they always gave a wide berth to the Customs officers. On
the Continent Poodles of the larger kind are often used for
draught work.
There can be little doubt that the breed originated in Ger-
many, where it is known as the Pudel, and classed as the Canis
familiaris Aquaticus. In form and coat he would seem to be
closely related to the old Water-dog, and the resemblance
between a brown Poodle and an Irish Water Spaniel is re-
markable. The Poodle is no longer regarded as a sporting
dog, but at one period he was trained to retrieve waterfowl,
and he still on occasion displays an eager fondness for the
water.
Throughout Europe and in the United States — wherever
these dogs are kept — it is usual to clip the coat on the face,
the legs, and the hinder part of the body, leaving tufts of hair
on the thighs and a ring of hair on the pasterns. The origin
and purpose of the custom are not apparent, but now that
Poodles are almost always kept as house dogs, this mode of
ornamentation at least commends itself by reducing the
labour of daily grooming if the coat is to be maintained in
good condition and the dog to be a pleasant associate.
The profuse and long coat of this dog has the peculiarity
that if not kept constantly brushed out it twists up into little
cords which increase in length as the new hair grows and
clings about it. The unshed old hair and the new growth
entwined together thus become distinct rope-like cords.
Eventually, if these cords are not cut short, or accidentally
72 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
torn off, they drag along the ground, and so prevent the poor
animal from moving with any degree of comfort or freedom.
Some few owners, who admire and cultivate these long cords,
keep them tied up in bundles on the dog's back, but so un-
natural and unsightly a method of burdening the animal
is not to be commended.
Corded Poodles are very showy, and from the remarkable
appearance of the coat, attract a great deal of public attention
when exhibited at shows ; but they have lost popularity
among most fanciers, and have become few in number owing
to the obvious fact that it is impossible to make pets of them
or keep them in the house. The reason of this is that the coat
must, from time to time, be oiled in order to keep the cords
supple and prevent them from snapping, and, of course, as
their coats cannot be brushed, the only way of keeping the
dog clean is to wash him, which with a corded Poodle is a
lengthy and laborious process. Further, the coat takes hours
to dry, and unless the newly washed dog be kept in a warm
room he is very liable to catch cold. The result is, that the
coats of corded Poodles are almost invariably dirty, and
somewhat smelly.
At one time it was suggested that cordeds and non-cordeds
were two distinct breeds, but it is now generally accepted
that the coat of every well-bred Poodle will, if allowed, develop
cords.
Curly Poodles, on the other hand, have advanced con-
siderably in favour. Their coats should be kept regularly
brushed and combed and, if washed occasionally, they will
always be smart and clean, and pleasant companions in the
house.
The four colours usually considered correct are black, white,
brown, and blue. White Poodles are considered the most
intelligent, and it is certain that professional trainers of per-
forming dogs prefer the white variety. The black come next in
the order of intelligence, and easily surpass the brown and
blue, which are somewhat lacking in true Poodle character.
THE POODLE 73
No strict lines are drawn as regards brown, and all shades
ranging from cream to dark brown are classed as brown.
Mrs. Robert Long a few years ago startled her fellow-enthus-
iasts by exhibiting some parti-coloured specimens ; but
they were regarded as freaks, and did not become popular.
The points to be looked for in choosing a Poodle are, that
he should be a lively, active dog, with a long, fine head, a
dark oval eye, with a bright alert expression, short in the back,
not leggy, but by no means low on the ground, with a good
loin, carrying his tail well up ; the coat should be profuse,
all one colour, very curly, and rather wiry to the touch.
If you buy a Poodle puppy you will find it like other in-
telligent and active youngsters, full of mischief. The great
secret in training him is first to gain his affection. With
firmness, kindness, and perseverance, you can then teach him
almost anything. The most lively and excitable dogs are
usually the easiest to train. It is advantageous to teach your
dog when you give him his meal of biscuit, letting him have
the food piece by piece as a reward when each trick is duly
performed. Never attempt to teach him two new tricks at
a time, and when instructing him in a new trick let him
always go through his old ones first. Make it an invariable
rule never to be beaten by him. If — as frequently is the case
with your dogs — he declines to perform a trick, do not pass
it over or allow him to substitute another he likes better ;
but, when you see he obstinately refuses, punish him by
putting away the coveted food for an hour or two. If he
once sees he can tire you out you will have no further authority
over him, while if you are firm he will not hold out against you
long. It is a bad plan to make a dog repeat too frequently
a trick which he obviously dislikes, and insistence on your
part may do great harm. The Poodle is exceptionally sensitive,
and is far more efficiently taught when treated as a sensible
being rather than as a mere quadrupedal automaton. He
will learn twice as quickly if his master can make him under-
stand the reason for performing a task. The whip is of little
74 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
use when a lesson is to be taught, as the dog will probably
associate his tasks with a thrashing and go through them in
that unwilling, cowed, tail-bet ween-legs fashion which too
often betrays the unthinking hastiness of the master, and is
the chief reason why the Poodle has sometimes been regarded
as a spiritless coward.
The Poodle bitch makes a good mother, rarely giving trouble
in whelping, and the puppies are not difficult to rear. Their
chief dangers are gastritis and congestion of the lungs, which
can be avoided with careful treatment. It should be remem-
bered that the dense coat of the Poodle takes a long time
to dry after being wetted, and that if the dog has been out
in the rain, and got his coat soaked, or if he has been washed
or allowed to jump into a pond, you must take care not to
leave him in a cold place or to lie inactive before he is perfectly
dry.
Most Poodles are kept in the house or in enclosed kennels,
well protected from draught and moisture, and there is no
difficulty in so keeping them, as they are naturally obedient
and easily taught to be clean in the house and to be regular
in their habits.
The coat of a curly Poodle should be kept fleecy and free
from tangle by being periodically combed and brushed. The
grooming keeps the skin clean and healthy, and frequent
washing, even for a white dog, is not necessary. The dog
will, of course, require clipping from time to time. In Paris
at present it is the fashion to clip the greater part of the body
and hind-quarters, but the English Poodle Club recommends
that the coat be left on as far down the body as the last rib,
and it is also customary with us to leave a good deal of coat
on the hind-quarters.
Probably the best-known Poodle of his day in this country
was Ch. The Model, a black corded dog belonging to Mr. H. A.
Dagois, who imported him from the Continent. Model was
a medium-sized dog, very well proportioned, and with a
beautifully moulded head and dark, expressive eyes, and I
THE POODLE 75
believe was only once beaten in the show ring. He died some
few years ago at a ripe old age, but a great many of the best-
known Poodles of the present day claim relationship to him.
One of his most famous descendants was Ch. The Joker,
also black corded, who was very successful at exhibitions.
Another very handsome dog was Ch. Vladimir, again a
black corded, belonging to Miss Haulgrave.
Since 1905 the curly Poodles have very much improved,
and the best specimens of the breed are now to be found in their
ranks. Ch. Orchard Admiral, the property of Mrs. Crouch,
a son of Ch. The Joker and Lady Godiva, is probably the best
specimen living. White Poodles, of which Mrs. Crouch's
Orchard White Boy is a notable specimen, ought to be more
widely kept than they are, but it must be admitted that the
task of keeping a full-sized white Poodle's coat clean in a
town is no light one.
Toy White Poodles, consequently, are very popular. The
toy variety should not exceed fifteen inches in height at the
shoulder, and in all respects should be a miniature of the full-
sized dog, with the same points.
POINTS OF THE PERFECT POODLE : General Appearance—That
of a very active, intelligent, and elegant-looking dog, well built, and
carrying himself very proudly. Head — Long, straight, and fine,
the skull not broad, with a slight peak at the back. Muzzle — Long
(but not snipy) and strong — not full in cheek ; teeth white, strong,
and level ; gums black, lips black and not showing lippiness. Eyes —
Almond shaped, very dark, full of fire and intelligence. Nose — Black
and sharp. Ears — The leather long and wide, low set on, hanging
close to the face. Neck — Well proportioned and strong, to admit of
the head being carried high and with dignity. Shoulders — Strong and
muscular, sloping well to the back. Chest — Deep and moderately wide.
Back — Short, strong, and slightly hollowed, the loins broad and muscu-
lar, the ribs well sprung and braced up. Feet — Rather small, and of
good shape, the toes well arched, pads thick and hard. Legs — Fore-
legs set straight from shoulder, with plenty of bone and muscle. Hind-
legs very muscular and well bent, with the hocks well let down. Tail —
Set on rather high, well carried, never curled or carried over back.
Coat — Very profuse, and of good hard texture ; if corded, hanging in
tight, even cords ; if non-corded, very thick and strong, of even length,
the curls close and thick, without knots or cords. Colours — All black,
all white, all red, all blue. The White Poodle should have dark eyes,
black or very dark liver nose, lips, and toe-nails. The Red Poodle should
76 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
have dark amber eyes, dark liver nose, lips, and toe-nails. The Blue
Poodle should be of even colour, and have dark eyes, lips, and toe-nails.
All the other points of White, Red, and Blue Poodles should be the
same as the perfect Black Poodle.
N.B. — It is strongly recommended that only one-third of the body
be"clipped or shaved, and that the hair on the forehead be left on.
CHAPTER XII
THE SCHIPPERKE
THE Schipperke may fitly be described as the Paul Pry of
canine society. His insatiate inquisitiveness induces him to
poke his nose into everything ; every strange object excites
his curiosity, and he will, if possible, look behind it ; the
slightest noise arouses his attention, and he wants to investi-
gate its cause. There is no end to his liveliness, but he moves
about with almost catlike agility without upsetting any
objects in a room, and when he hops he has a curious way of
catching up his hind legs. The Schipperke's disposition is
most affectionate, tinged with a good deal of jealousy, and
even when made one of the household he generally attaches
himself more particularly to one person, whom he " owns,"
and whose protection he deems his special duty.
These qualities endear the Schipperke as a canine com-
panion, with a quaint and lovable character; and he is also
a capital vermin dog. When properly entered he cannot
be surpassed as a " ratter."
Schipperkes have always been kept as watch-dogs on the
Flemish canal barges, and that, no doubt, is the origin of the
name, which is the Flemish for " Little Skipper," the syllable
" ke " forming the diminutive of " schipper."
The respectable antiquity of this dog is proved by the
result of the researches Mr. Van der Snickt and Mr. Van
Buggenhoudt made in the archives of Flemish towns, which
contain records of the breed going back in pure type over a
hundred years.
The first Schipperke which appeared at a show in this coun-
try was Mr. Berne's Flo. This was, however, such a mediocre
specimen that it did not appeal to the taste of the English
77
78 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
dog-loving public. In 1888 Dr. Seelig brought over Skip,
Drieske, and Mia. The first-named was purchased by Mr.
E. B. Joachim, and the two others by Mr. G. R. Krehl. Later
on Mr. Joachim became the owner of Mr. Green's Shtoots,
and bought Fritz of Spa in Belgium, and these dogs formed
the nucleus of the two kennels which laid the foundation of
the breed in England.
It was probably the introduction of the Schipperke to
England that induced Belgian owners to pay greater attention
to careful breeding, and a club was started in 1888 in Brussels,
whose members, after " long and earnest consideration,"
settled a description and standard of points for the breed.
Not long afterwards the Schipperke Club (England) was
inaugurated, and drew up the following standard of points,
which was adopted in December, 1890, and differed only very
slightly from the one acknowledged by the Belgian society
and later by the St. Hubert Schipperke Club.
STANDARD OF POINTS OF THE SCHIPPERKE CLUB, ENGLAND :
Head — Foxy in type ; skull should not be round, but broad, and
with little stop. The muzzle should be moderate in length, fine but
not weak, should be well filled out under the eyes. Nose — Black and
small. Eyes — Dark brown, small, more oval than round, and not
full ; bright, and full of expression. Ears — Shape : Of moderate
length, not too broad at the base, tapering to a point. Carriage :
Stiffly erect, and when in that position the inside edge to form as near
as possible a right angle with the skull and strong enough not to be bent
otherwise than lengthways. Teeth — Strong and level. Neck — Strong
and full, rather short, set broad on the shoulders and slightly arched.
Shoulders — Muscular and sloping. Chest — Broad and deep in brisket.
Back — Short, straight, and strong. Loins — Powerful, well drawn up
from the brisket. Fore-Legs — Perfectly straight, well under the body,
with bone in proportion to the body. Hind-Legs — Strong, muscular,
hocks well let down. Feet — Small, catlike, and standing well on the
toes. Nails — Black. Hind-quarters — Fine compared to the fore-parts,
muscular and well-developed thighs, tailless, rump well rounded.
Coat — Black, abundant, dense, and harsh, smooth on the head, ears
and legs, lying close on the back and sides, but erect and thick round
the neck, forming a mane and frill, and well feathered on back of thighs.
Weight — About twelve pounds. General Appearance — A small cobby
animal with sharp expression, intensely lively, presenting the appear-
ance of being always on the alert. Disqualifying Points — Drop, or
semi-erect ears.^ Faults — White hairs are objected to, but are not
disqualifying.
THE SCHIPPERKE 79
The back of the Schipperke is described as straight, but it
should round off at the rump, which should be rotund and full,
guinea-pig-like. The continued straight line of a terrier's
back is not desirable, but it will frequently be found in speci-
mens that have been docked. The Belgian standard requires
the legs to be " fine," and not have much bone. The bone of a
terrier is only met with in coarse Schipperkes. As to size, it need
only be noted that the maximum of the small size, viz., 12 Ibs.,
is that generally preferred in England, as well as in Belgium.
Further, it is only necessary to remark that the Schipperke
is a dog of quality, of distinct characteristics, cobby in appear-
ance, not long in the back, nor high on the leg ; the muzzle
must not be weak and thin, nor short and blunt ; and, finally,
he is not a prick-eared, black wire-haired terrier.
The Schipperke 's tail, or rather its absence, has been the
cause of much discussion, and at one time gave rise to con-
siderable acrimonious feeling amongst fanciers. On the
introduction of this dog into Great Britain it arrived from
abroad with the reputation of being a tailless breed, but
whether Belgian owners accidentally conveyed that im-
pression or did it purposely to give the breed an additional
distinction is difficult to say. Anyhow the Schipperke is no
more " tailless " than the old English Sheepdog. That is
to say a larger number of individuals are born without any
caudal appendage or only a stump of a tail than in any other
variety of dogs. It is said that a docked dog can be told
from one that has been born tailless in this way ; when
the docked animal is pleased, a slight movement at the end
of the spine where the tail was cut off is discernible, but the
naturally tailless dog sways the whole of its hind-quarters.
CHAPTER XIII
THE BLOODHOUND
THE Bloodhound was much used in olden times in hunting
and in the pursuit of fugitives ; two services for which his
remarkable acuteness of smell, his ability to keep to the
particular scent on which he is first laid, and the intelligence
and pertinacity with which he follows up the trail, admirably
fit him. The use and employment of these dogs date back
into remote antiquity. We have it on the authority of Strabo
that they were used against the Gauls, and we have certain
knowledge that they were employed not only in the frequent
feuds of the Scottish clans, and in the continuous border forays
of those days, but also during the ever-recurring hostilities
between England and Scotland.
Indeed, the very name of the dog calls up visions of feudal
castles, with their trains of knights and warriors and all the
stirring panorama of these brave days of old, when the only
tenure of life, property, or goods was by the strong hand.
This feudal dog is frequently pictured by the poet in his
ballads and romances, and in " The Lady of the Lake " we
find the breed again mentioned as
" —dogs of black St. Hubert's breed,
Unmatched for courage, breath, and speed."
These famous black Bloodhounds, called St. Huberts, are
supposed to have been brought by pilgrims from the Holy
Land. Another larger breed, also known by the same name,
were pure white, and -another kind were greyish-red. The
dogs of the present day are probably a blend of all these
varieties.
80
BLOODHOUND CH. CHATLEY BEAUFORT. BY CH. CHATLEY
BLAZER— CHATLEY FRIVOL. BRED AND OWNED BY MRS. G. A.
OLIPHANT, SHREWTON, WILTS
THE BLOODHOUND 81
The Bloodhound, from the nobler pursuit of heroes and
knights, came in later years to perform the work of the more
modern detective ; but in this also his services were in time
superseded by the justice's warrant and the police officer.
We find it recorded about 1805, however, that " the Thrapston
Association for the Prevention of Felons in Northamptonshire
have provided and trained a Bloodhound for the detection of
sheep-stealers."
The reputation it obtained for sagacity and fierceness in the
capture of runaway slaves, and the cruelties attributed to it in
connection with the suppression of the various negro risings,
especially that of the Maroons, have given the animal an
evil repute, which more probably should attach to those
who made the animal's courage and sagacity a means for the
gratification of their own revolting cruelty of disposition. It
has been justly remarked that if entire credence be given to
the description that was transmitted through the country
of this extraordinary animal, it might be supposed that the
Spaniards had obtained the ancient and genuine breed of
Cerberus himself.
Coming again to this country, we find the Bloodhound
used from time to time in pursuit of poachers and criminals,
and in many instances the game recovered and the man
arrested.
There is no doubt that the police in country districts,
and at our convict prisons, could use Bloodhounds to ad-
vantage ; but public sentiment is decidedly against the idea,
and although one of His Majesty's prisons has been offered
a working hound for nothing, the authorities have refused
to consider the question or give the hound a trial.
Half a century ago the Bloodhound was so little esteemed
in this country that the breed was confined to the kennels
of a very few owners ; but the institution of dog shows induced
these owners to bring their hounds into public exhibition,
when it was seen that, like the Mastiff, the Bloodhound claimed
the advantage of having many venerable ancestral trees to
G
82 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
branch from. At the first Birmingham show, in 1860, Lord
Bagot brought out a team from a strain which had been in
his lordship's family for two centuries, and at the same ex-
hibition there was entered probably one of the best Blood-
hounds ever seen, in Mr. T. A. Jenning's Druid. Known now
as " Old " Druid, this dog was got by Lord Faversham's
Raglan out of Baron Rothschild's historic bitch Fury, and
his blood goes down in collateral veins through Mr. L. G.
Morrel's Margrave, Prince Albert Solm's Druid, and Mr.
Edwin Brough's Napier into the pedigrees of many of the
celebrated hounds of the present day.
Another famous Druid — grandsire of Colonel Co wen's
hound of the name — was owned by the Hon. Grantley Berke-
ley. This typical dog was unsurpassed in his time, and his
talent in following a line of scent was astonishing. His only
blemish was one of character ; for, although usually as
good-tempered as most of the breed are, he was easily aroused
to uncontrollable fits of savage anger.
Queen Victoria at various times was the possessor of
one or more fine specimens of the Bloodhound, procured for
her by Sir Edwin Landseer, and a capital hound from the
Home Park Kennels at Windsor was exhibited at the London
Show in 1869, the judge on the occasion being the Rev. Thomas
Pearce, afterwards known as " Idstone." Landseer was
especially fond of painting the majestic Bloodhound, and he
usually selected good models for his studies. The model
for the hound in his well-known picture, " Dignity and Im-
pudence," was Graf ton, who was a collateral relative of
Captain J. W. Clayton's celebrated Luath XI.
Four superlative Bloodhounds of the past stand out in
unmistakable eminence as the founders of recognised strains.
They are Mr. Jenning's Old Druid, Colonel Co wen's Druid,
Mr. Reynold Ray's Roswell, and Captain Clayton's Luath XL ;
and the owner of a Bloodhound which can be traced back in
direct line of descent to any one of these four patriarchs may
pride himself upon possessing a dog of unimpeachable pedigree.
THE BLOODHOUND 83
Among breeders within recent years Mr. Edwin Brough, of
Scarborough, is to be regarded as the most experienced and
successful. No record of the breed would be complete without
some acknowledgment of the great services he has rendered
to it. Bloodhounds of the correct type would to-day have
been very few and far between if it had not been for his en-
thusiasm and patient breeding. Mr. Brough bred and produced
many hounds, which all bore the stamp of his ideal, and there
is no doubt that for all-round quality his kennel stands first
in the history of the Bloodhound. His most successful cross
was, perhaps, Beckford and Bianca, and one has only to
mention such hounds as Burgundy, Babbo, Benedicta, and
Bardolph to recall the finest team of Bloodhounds that has
ever been benched.
Mrs. G. A. Oliphant, of Shrewton, Wilts, whose kennels
include Chatley Blazer and Chatley Beaufort, has of late
years been a keen supporter of the breed. Mrs. Oliphant,
who is the president of the ladies' branch of the Kennel Club,
is a great believer in hounds being workers first and show
hounds second, and her large kennels have produced many
hounds of a robust type and of good size and quality. There
is no doubt that as far as hunting is concerned at the present
moment this kennel stands easily first. But admirable Blood-
hounds have also given distinction to the kennels of Mr. S. H.
Mangin, Dr. Sidney Turner, Mr. Mark Beaufoy, Mr. F. W.
Cousens, Mr. A. O. Mudie, Lord Decies, Mr. Hood Wright,
Mr. A. Croxton Smith, Dr. C. C. Garfit, Dr. Semmence, and
Mrs. C. Ashton Cross, to mention only a few owners and
breeders who have given attention to this noble race of dog.
The description of a perfect type of dog, as defined by the
Association of Bloodhound breeders, is as follows : —
General Character — The Bloodhound possesses, in a most marked
degree, every point and characteristic of those dogs which hunt to-
gether by scent (Sagaces). He is very powerful and stands over more
ground than is usual with hounds of other breeds. The skin is thin to
the touch and extremely loose, this being more especially noticeable
about the head and neck, where it hangs in deep folds. Height — The
84 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
mean average height of adult dogs is 26 inches and of adult bitches 24
inches. Dogs usually vary from 25 inches to 27 inches and bitches
from 23 inches to 25 inches ; but in either case the greater height is
to be preferred, provided that character and quality are also com-
bined. Weight— The mean average weight of adult dogs in fair con-
dition is 90 pounds and of adult bitches 80 pounds. Dogs attain the
weight of 110 pounds, bitches 100 pounds. The greater weights are
to be preferred, provided (as in the case of height) that quality and
proportion are also combined. Expression — The expression is noble
and dignified and characterised by solemnity, wisdom and power.
Temperament — In temperament he is extremely affectionate, quarrel-
some neither with companions nor with other dogs. His nature is
somewhat shy, and equally sensitive to kindness or correction by his
master. Head — The head is narrow in proportion to its length and long
in proportion to the body, tapering but slightly from the temples
to the end of the muzzle thus (when viewed from above and in front)
having the appearance of being flattened at the sides and of being nearly
equal in width throughout its entire length. In profile the upper
outline of the skull is nearly in the same plane as that of the foreface.
The length from end of nose to stop (midway between the eyes) should
be not less than that from stop to back of occipital protuberance (peak).
The entire length of head from the posterior part of the occipital pro-
tuberance to the end of the muzzle should be 12 inches, or more, in dogs*
and 11 inches, or more, in bitches. Skull — The skull is long and
narrow, with the occipital peak very pronounced. The brows are not
prominent, although, owing to the deep-set eyes, they may have that
appearance. Foreface — The foreface is long, deep, and of even width
throughout, with square outline when seen in profile. Eyes — The eyes
are deeply sunk in the orbits, the lids assuming a lozenge or diamond
shape, in consequence of the lower lids being dragged down and everted
by the heavy flews. The eyes correspond with the general tone of
colour of the animal, varying from deep hazel to yellow. The hazel
colour is, however, to be preferred, although very seldom seen in red-
and-tan hounds. Ears — The ears are thin and soft to the touch,
extremely long, set very low, and fall in graceful folds, the lower parts
curling inwards and backwards. Wrinkle — The head is furnished with
an amount of loose skin which in nearly every position appears super-
abundant, but more particularly so when the head is carried low ;
the skin then falls into loose, pendulous ridges and folds, especially
over the forehead and sides of the face. Nostrils — The nostrils are large
and open. Lips, Flews, and Dewlap— In front the lips fall squarely,
making a right-angle with the upper line of the foreface, whilst behind
they form deep, hanging flews, and, being continued into the pendent
folds of loose skin about the neck, constitute the dewlap, which is very
pronounced. These characters are found, though in a less degree, in
the bitch. Neck, Shoulders, and Chest — The neck is long, the shoulders
muscular and well sloped backwards ; the ribs are well sprung, and
the chest well let down between the forelegs, forming a deep keel.
Legs and Feet — The fore-legs are straight and large in bone, with elbows
squarely set ; the feet strong and well knuckled up ; the thighs and
second thighs (gaskins) are very muscular ; the hocks well bent and
THE BLOODHOUND 85
let down and squarely set. Back and Loins — The back and loins are
strong, the latter deep and slightly arched. Stern — The stern is long
and tapering and set on rather high, with a moderate amount of hair
underneath. Gait — The gait is elastic, swinging, and free — the stern
being carried high, but not too much curled over the back. Colour —
The colours are black-and-tan, red-and-tan, and tawny — the darker
colours being sometimes interspersed with lighter or badger-coloured
hair and sometimes flecked with white. A small amount of white is
permissible on chest, feet, and tip of stern.
CHAPTER XIV
THE OTTERHOUND
THE Otterhound is a descendant of the old Southern Hound,
and there is reason to believe that all hounds hunting their
quarry by nose had a similar source. Why the breed was first
called the Southern Hound, or when his use became practical
in Great Britain, must be subjects of conjecture ; but that
there was a hound good enough to hold a line for many hours
is accredited in history that goes very far back into past
centuries. The hound required three centuries ago even was
all the better esteemed for being slow and unswerving on a
line of scent, and in many parts of the Kingdom, up to within
half that period, the so-called Southern Hound had been
especially employed. In Devonshire and Wales the last
sign of him in his purity was perhaps when Captain Hopwood
hunted a small pack of hounds very similar in character on the
fitch or pole-cat ; the modus operandi being to find the
foraging grounds of the animal, and then on a line that might
be two days old hunt him to his lair, often enough ten or twelve
miles off.
When this sort of hunting disappeared, and improved
ideas of fox-hunting came into vogue, there was nothing
left for the Southern Hound to do but to hunt the otter. He
may have done this before at various periods, but history
rather tends to show that otter-hunting was originally asso-
ciated with a mixed pack, and some of Sir Walter Scott's
pages seem to indicate that the Dandie Dinmont and kindred
Scottish terriers had a good deal to do with the sport. It is
more than probable that the rough-coated terrier is identical
86
THE OTTERHOUND 87
with the now recognised Otterhound as an offshoot of the
Southern Hound ; but be that as it may, there has been a
special breed of Otterhound for the last eighty years, very
carefully bred and gradually much improved in point of appear-
ance. They are beautiful hounds to-day, with heads as
typical as those of Bloodhounds, legs and feet that would
do for Foxhounds, a unique coat of their own, and they
are exactly suitable for hunting the otter, as everyone knows
who has had the enjoyment of a day's sport on river or
brook.
The greatest otter hunter of the last century may have been
the Hon. Geoffrey Hill, a younger brother of the late Lord
Hill. A powerful athlete of over six feet, Major Hill was an
ideal sportsman in appearance, and he was noted for the long
distances he would travel on foot with his hounds. They
were mostly of the pure rough sort, not very big ; the dogs he
reckoned at about 23^ inches, bitches 22 : beautiful Blood-
hound type of heads, coats of thick, hard hair, big in ribs and
bones, and good legs and feet.
Major Hill seldom exhibited his hounds. They were seen
now and then at Birmingham ; but, hunting as hard as they
did through Shropshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire, and into
Wales, where they got their best water, there was not much
time for showing. Their famous Master has been dead now
many years, but his pack is still going, and shows great sport
as the Hawkstone under the Mastership of Mr. H. P. Wardell,
the kennels being at Ludlow race-course, Bromfield.
The leading pack in the Kingdom for the last sixty years, at
any rate, has been the Carlisle when in the hands of Mr. J. C.
Carrick, who was famous both for the sport he showed and
for his breed of Otterhound, so well represented at all the
important shows. Such hounds as Lottery and Lucifer were
very typical specimens ; but of late years the entries of
Otterhounds have not been very numerous at the great exhi-
bitions, and this can well be explained by the fact that they
are wanted in greater numbers for active service, there being
88 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
many more packs than formerly — in all, twenty-one for the
United Kingdom.
The sport of otter-hunting is decidedly increasing, as there
have been several hunts started within the last six years.
There can well be many more, as, according to the opinion of
that excellent authority, the late Rev. " Otter " Davies, as
he was always called, there are otters on every river ; but,
owing to the nocturnal and mysterious habits of the animals,
their whereabouts or existence is seldom known, or even
suspected. Hunting them is a very beautiful sport, and the
question arises as to whether the pure Otterhounds should not
be more generally used than they are at present. It is often
asserted that their continued exposure to water has caused a
good deal of rheumatism in the breed, that they show age
sooner than others, and that the puppies are difficult to rear.
There are, however, many advantages in having a pure breed,
and there is much to say for the perfect work of the Otterhound.
The scent of the otter is possibly the sweetest of all trails left
by animals. One cannot understand how it is that an animal
swimming two or three feet from the bottom of a river-bed and
the same from the surface should leave a clean line of burning
scent that may remain for twelve or eighteen hours. The
supposition must be that the scent from the animal at first
descends and is then always rising. At any rate, the oldest
Foxhound or Harrier that has never touched otter is at once
in ravishing excitement on it, and all dogs will hunt it. The
terrier is never keener than when he hits on such a line.
The Foxhound, so wonderful in his forward dash, may have
too much of it for otter hunting. The otter is so wary. His
holt can very well be passed, his delicious scent may be over-
run ; but the pure-bred Otterhound is equal to all occasions.
He is terribly certain on the trail when he finds it. Nothing
can throw him off it, and when his deep note swells into a
sort of savage howl, as he lifts his head towards the roots of
some old pollard, there is a meaning in it — no mistake has been
made. In every part of a run it is the same ; the otter dodges
THE OTTERHOUND 89
up stream and down, lands for a moment, returns to his holt ;
but his adversaries are always with him, and as one sees their
steady work the impression becomes stronger and stronger
that for the real sport of otter-hunting there is nothing as
good as the pure-bred Otterhound. There is something
so dignified and noble about the hound of unsullied strain
that if you once see a good one you will not soon forget him.
He is a large hound, as he well needs to be, for the " varmint "
who is his customary quarry is the wildest, most vicious, and,
for its size, the most powerful of all British wild animals,
the inveterate poacher of our salmon streams, and consequently
to be mercilessly slaughtered, although always in sporting
fashion. To be equal to such prey, the hound must have a
Bulldog's courage, a Newfoundland's strength in water,
a Pointer's nose, a Retriever's sagacity, the stamina of the
Foxhound, the patience of a Beagle, the intelligence of a
Collie.
THE PERFECT OTTERHOUND : Head— The head, which has
been described as something between that of a Bloodhound and that
of a Foxhound, is more hard and rugged than either. With a narrow
forehead, ascending to a moderate peak. Ban — The ears are long and
sweeping, but not feathered down to the tips, set low and lying flat to
the cheeks. Eyes — The eyes are large, dark and deeply set, having
a peculiarly thoughtful expression. They show a considerable amount
of the haw. Nose — The nose is large and well developed, the nostrils
expanding. Muzzle — The muzzle well protected from wiry hair. The
jaw very powerful with deep flews. Neck — The neck is strong and
muscular, but rather long. The dewlap is loose and folded. Chest —
The chest, deep and capacious, but not too wide. Back — The back is
strong, wide and arched. Shoulders — The shoulders ought to be
sloping, the arms and thighs substantial and muscular. Feet — The feet,
fairly large and spreading, with firm pads and strong nails to resist
sharp rocks. Stern — The stern when the hound is at work is carried
gaily, like that of a rough Welsh Harrier. It is thick and well covered,
to serve as a rudder. Coat — The coat is wiry, hard, long and close
at the roots, impervious to water. Colour — Grey, or buff, or yellowish,
or black, or rufus red, mixed with black or grey. Height — 22 to 24
inches.
CHAPTER XV
THE IRISH WOLFHOUND
IT is now some thirty years since an important controversy
was carried on in the columns of The Live Stock Journal
on the nature and history of the great Irish Wolfhound.
The chief disputants in the discussion were Captain G. A.
Graham, of Dursley, Mr. G. W. Hickman, Mr. F. Adcock, and
the Rev. M. B. Wynn, and the main point as issue was whether
the dog then imperfectly known as the Irish Wolfdog was
a true descendant of the ancient Cam's graius Hibernicus,
or whether it was a mere manufactured mongrel, owing its
origin to an admixture of the Great Dane and the dog of the
Pyrenees, modified and brought to type by a cross with the
Highland Deerhound. It was not doubted — indeed, history
and tradition clearly attested — that there had existed in
early times in Ireland a very large and rugged hound of Grey-
hound form, whose vocation it was to hunt the wolf, the red
deer, and the fox. It was assuredly known to the Romans,
and there can be little doubt that the huge dog Samr, which
Jarl Gunnar got from the Irish king Myrkiarton in the tenth
century and took back with him to Norway, was one of this
breed. But it was supposed by many to have become extinct
soon after the disappearance of the last wolf in Ireland, and it
was the endeavour of Captain Graham to demonstrate that
specimens, although admittedly degenerate, were still to be
found, and that they were capable of being restored to a
semblance of the original type.
At the time when he entered into the controversy, Captain
Graham had been actively interesting himself for something
like a score of years in the resuscitation of the breed, and his
90
THE IRISH WOLFHOUND 91
patience had been well rewarded. By the year 1881 the
Irish Wolfhound had been practically restored, although it has
taken close upon a quarter of a century to produce the mag-
nificent champions Cotswold and Cotswold Patricia, those
brilliant examples of the modern breed — a brace of
Wolfhounds who bear testimony to the vast amount
of energy and perseverance which Captain Graham and his
enthusiastic colleague Major Gamier displayed in evolving from
rough material the majestic breed that holds so prominent
a position to-day.
There is little to be gathered from ancient writings con-
cerning the size and appearance of the Irish Wolfhounds in
early times. Exaggerated figures are given as to height and
weight ; but all authorities agree that they were impressively
large and imposing dogs, and that they were regarded as the
giants of the canine race.
It seems extraordinary that so little should have been
accurately known and recorded of a dog which at one time
must have been a familiar figure in the halls of the Irish kings.
It was no mere mythical animal like the heraldic griffin, but
an actual sporting dog which was accepted as a national
emblem of the Emerald Isle, associated with the harp and the
shamrock.
As regards the origin of the Irish Wolfhound, more than one
theory is advanced. By some authorities it is suggested that
it was the dog which we now know as the Great Dane. Others
hold that as there were rough-coated Greyhounds in Ireland,
it is this dog, under another name, which is now accepted.
But probably the late Captain Graham was nearer the truth
when he gave the opinion that the Irish hound that was
kept to hunt wolves has never become extinct at all, but is
now represented in the Scottish Deerhound, only altered a
little in size and strength to suit the easier work required of
it — that of hunting the deer. This is the more probable,
as the fact remains that the chief factor in the resuscitation of
the Irish Wolfhound has been the Scottish Deerhound.
92 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
The result of Captain Graham's investigations when seek-
ing for animals bearing some relationship to the original
Irish " Wolfe Dogge " was that three strains were to be found
in Ireland, but none of the representatives at that time was
anything like so large as those mentioned in early writings,
and they all appeared to have deteriorated in bone
and substance. Sir J. Power, of Kilfane, was responsible for
one line, Mr. Baker, of Ballytobin, for another, and Mr.
Mahoney, of Dromore, for the remaining strain. From bitches
obtained from two of these kennels, Captain Graham, by
crossing them with the Great Dane and Scottish Deerhound,
achieved the first step towards producing the animal that he
desired. Later on the Russian Wolfhound, better known
as the Borzoi, an exceedingly large hound, was introduced,
as also were one or two other large breeds of dogs.
The intermixture of these canine giants, however, was not
at first very satisfactory, as although plenty of bone was
obtained, many were most ungainly in appearance and ill-
shaped animals that had very little about them to attract
attention. Captain Graham, however, stuck to his work,
and very soon the specimens that he brought forward began
to show a fixity of type both in head and in general outline.
Brian was one of his best dogs, but he was not very large, as
he only stood just over thirty inches at the shoulder. Banshee
and Fintragh were others, but probably the best of Captain
Graham's kennel was the bitch Sheelah. It was not, however,
until towards the end of the last century that the most
perfect dogs were bred. These included O'Leary, the property
of Mr. Crisp, of Playford Hall. O'Leary is responsible for
many of the best dogs of the present day, and was the sire of
Mrs. Percy ShewelTs Ch. Cotswold, who is undoubtedly the
grandest Irish Wolfhound ever bred. In height Cotswold
stands 34$ inches and is therefore perhaps the largest dog of
any breed now alive.
In 1900 Mr. Crisp bred Kilcullen from O'Leary, this dog
winning the championship at the Kennel Club Show at the
THE IRISH WOLFHOUND 93
Crystal Palace in 1902 under Captain Graham. This was
the year the Irish Wolfhound Club presented the hound
Rajah of Kidnal as a regimental pet to the newly formed Irish
Guards.
Rajah of Kidnal, who was bred and exhibited by Mrs. A.
Gerard, of Malpas, was the selection of Captain Graham and
two other judges. This dog, which has been renamed Brian
Boru, is still hearty and well, and was at his post on St.
Patrick's Day, 1909, when the shamrock that had been
sent by Her Majesty Queen Alexandra was handed to the
men.
Mrs. Gerard owned one of the largest kennels of Irish Wolf-
hounds in England, and amongst her many good dogs and
bitches was Cheevra, who was a wonderful brood bitch, and
included amongst her stock were several that worked their
way up to championship honours ; she was the dam of Rajah
of Kidnal.
Besides Ballyhooley, Mr. W. Williams owned a good dog
in Finn by Brian II. Finn produced Miss Packe's Wickham
Lavengro, a black and tan dog that has won several prizes.
Some judges are opposed to giving prizes to Irish Wolfhounds
of this colour, but Captain Graham did not object to it. Finn
was a very heavy dog, and weighed 148 Ibs.
A hound that has been of great benefit to the breed in Ire-
land is Ch. Marquis of Donegal, the property of Mr. Martin.
Amongst the bitches that have been instrumental in build-
ing up the breed to its present high state of excellence is
Princess Patricia of Connaught who is by Dermot Astore out
of Cheevra, and is the dam of Ch. Cotswold Patricia. She is
one of the tallest of her race, her height being 33 inches ;
another bitch that measures the same number of inches at
the shoulder being Dr. Pitts-Tucker's Juno of the Fen, a
daughter of Ch. Wargrave.
Mr. Everett, of Felixstowe, is now one of the most successful
breeders. He exhibited at the 1908 Kennel Club show a
most promising young dog in Felixstowe Kilronan, with which
94 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
he was second to Mrs. ShewelTs Ch. Cotswold, of whom he
is now kennel companion. At the same show Miss Clifford, of
Ryde, exhibited a good hound in Wildcroft, another of
Dermot Astore's sons, and other supporters of the breed are
Lady Kathleen Pilkington, Mr. T. Hamilton Adams, Mr. G. H.
Thurston, Mr. Bailey, Mrs. F. Marshall, Mr. J. L. T. Dobbin,
and Miss Ethel McCheane.
The following is the description of the variety as drawn
up by the Club : —
General Appearance — The Irish Wolfhound should not be quite so
heavy or massive as the Great Dane, but more so than the Deerhound,
which in general type he should otherwise resemble. Of great size
and commanding appearance, very muscular, strongly though grace-
fully built ; movements easy and active ; head and neck carried high ;
the tail carried with an upward sweep, with a slight curve towards
the extremity. The minimum height and weight of dogs should be
31 inches and 120 pounds, of bitches 28 inches and 90 pounds. Any-
thing below this should be debarred from competition. Great size,
including height at shoulder and proportionate length of body, is the
desideratum to be aimed at, and it is desired firmly to establish a race
that shall average from 32 inches to 34 inches in dogs, showing the
requisite power, activity, courage, and symmetry. Head — Long, the
frontal bones of the forehead very slightly raised and very little in-
dentation between the eyes. Skull not too broad ; muzzle long and
moderately pointed ; ears small and Greyhound-like in carriage.
Neck — Rather long, very strong and muscular, well arched, without
dewlap and loose skin about the throat. Chest — Very deep, breast
wide. Back — Rather long than short. Loins arched. Tall — Long
and slightly curved, of moderate thickness, and well covered with hair.
Belly — Well drawn up. Fore-quarters — Shoulders muscular, giving
breadth of chest, set sloping, elbows well under, neither turned inwards
nor outwards. Leg — Forearm muscular and the whole leg strong and
quite straight. Hind-quarters — Muscular thighs, and second thigh
long and strong as in the Greyhound, and hocks well let down and
turning neither in nor out. Feet — Moderately large and round, neither
turned inwards nor outwards ; toes well arched and closed, nails very
strong and curved. Hair — Rough and hard on body, legs, and head ;
especially why and long over eyes and under jaw. Colour and Mark-
ings— The recognised colours are grey, brindle, red, black, pure white,
fawn, or any colour that appears in the Deerhound. Faults — Too light
or heavy in head, too highly arched frontal bone, large ears and hanging
flat to the face ; short neck ; full dewlap ; too narrow or too broad
a chest ; sunken and hollow or quite level back ; bent fore-legs ; over-
bent fetlocks ; twisted feet ; spreading toes ; too curly a tail ; weak
hind-quarters, cow hocks, and a general want of muscle; too short
in body.
CHAPTER XVI
THE DEERHOUND
THE Deerhound is one of the most decorative of dogs, im-
pressively stately and picturesque wherever he is seen, whether
it be amid the surroundings of the baronial hall, reclining at
luxurious length before the open hearth in the fitful light of
the log fire that flickers on polished armour and tarnished
tapestry ; out in the open, straining at the leash as he scents
the dewy air, or gracefully bounding over the purple of his
native hills. Grace and majesty are in his every movement
and attitude, and even to the most prosaic mind there is
about him the inseparable glamour of feudal romance and
poetry. He is at his best alert in the excitement of the chase ;
but all too rare now is the inspiring sight that once was com-
mon among the mountains of Morven and the glens of Argyll
of the deep-voiced hound speeding in pursuit of his antlered
prey, racing him at full stretch along the mountain's ridge, or
baying him at last in the fastness of darksome corrie or deep
ravine. Gone are the good romantic days of stalking beloved
by Scrope. The Highlands have lost their loneliness, and the
inventions of the modern gunsmith have robbed one of the
grandest of hunting dogs of his glory, relegating him to the life
of a pedestrian pet, whose highest dignity is the winning of a
pecuniary prize under Kennel Club rules.
Historians of the Deerhound associate him with the original
Irish Wolfdog, of whom he is obviously a close relative, and it
is sure that when the wolf still lingered in the land it was the
frequent quarry of the Highland as of the Hibernian hound.
Legend has it that Prince Ossian, son of Fingal, King of
Morven, hunted the wolf with the grey, long-bounding dogs.
95
96 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
"Swift-footed Luath " and "White-breasted Bran" are
among the names of Ossian's hounds. I am disposed to
affirm that the old Irish Wolfhound and the Highland Deer-
hound are not only intimately allied in form and nature, but
that they are two strains of an identical breed, altered only
in size by circumstance and environment.
Whatever the source of the Highland Deerhound, and at
whatever period it became distinct from its now larger Irish
relative, it was recognised as a native dog in Scotland in very
early times, and it was distinguished as being superior in
strength and beauty to the hounds of the Picts.
From remote days the Scottish nobles cherished their strains
of Deerhound, seeking glorious sport in the Highland forests.
The red deer belonged by inexorable law to the kings of
Scotland, and great drives, which often lasted for several days,
were made to round up the herds into given neighbourhoods
for the pleasure of the court, as in the reign of Queen Mary.
But the organised coursing of deer by courtiers ceased during
the Stuart troubles, and was left in the hands of retainers,
who thus replenished their chief's larder.
The revival of deerstalking dates back hardly further than
a hundred years. It reached its greatest popularity in the
Highlands at the time when the late Queen and Prince Albert
were in residence at Balmoral. Solomon, Hector, and Bran
were among the Balmoral hounds. Bran was an especially
fine animal — one of the best of his time, standing over thirty
inches in height.
Two historic feats of strength and endurance illustrate the
tenacity of the Deerhound at work. A brace of half-bred
dogs, named Percy and Douglas, the property of Mr. Scrope,
kept a stag at bay from Saturday night to Monday morning ;
and the pure bred Bran by himself pulled down two un-
wounded stags, one carrying ten and the other eleven tines.
These, of course, are record performances, but they demon-
strate the possibilities of the Deerhound when trained to his
natural sport.
THE DEERHOUND 97
Driving was commonly resorted to in the extensive forests,
but nowadays when forests are sub-divided into limited shoot-
ings the deer are seldom moved from their home preserves,
whilst with the use of improved telescopes and the small-bore
rifle, stalking has gone out of fashion. With guns having a
muzzle velocity of 2,500 feet per second, it is no longer necess-
ary for sportsmen stealthily to stalk their game to come within
easy range, and as for hounds, they have become a doubtful
appendage to the chase.
Primarily and essentially the Deerhound belongs to the
order Agaseus, hunting by sight and not by scent, and although
he may indeed occasionally put his nose to the ground, yet his
; powers of scent are nol remarkable. His vocation, therefore,
has undergone a change, and it was recently ascertained that
of sixty deer forests there were only six upon which Deerhounds
were kept for sporting purposes.
Happily the Deerhound has suffered no decline in the
favour bestowed upon him for his own sake. The contrary is
rather the case, and he is still an aristocrat among dogs,
valued for his good looks, the symmetry of his form, his
grace and elegance, and even more so for his faithful and
affectionate nature. Sir Walter Scott declared that he was
" a most perfect creature of heaven," and when one sees
him represented in so beautiful a specimen of his noble race
as St. Ronan's Rhyme, for example, or Talisman, or Ayrshire,
one is tempted to echo this high praise.
Seven-and-twenty years ago Captain Graham drew up a list
of the most notable dogs of the last century. Among these
j were Sir St. George Gore's Gruim (1843-44), Black Bran
(1850-51) ; the Marquis of Breadalbane's King of the Forest,
said to stand 33 inches high ; Mr. Beaseley's Alder (1863-67),
bred by Sir John McNeill of Colonsay ; Mr. Donald Cameron's
Torrum (1869), and his two sons Monzie and Young Torrum ;
and Mr. Dadley's Hector, who was probably the best-bred
dog living in the early eighties. Torrum, however, appears
to have been the most successful of these dogs at stud. He was
98 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
an exceedingly grand specimen of his race, strong framed,
with plenty of hair of a blue brindle colour. Captain Graham 's
own dog Keildar, who had been trained for deerstalking in
Windsor Park, was perhaps one of the most elegant and
aristocratic-looking Deerhounds ever seen. His full height
was 30 inches, girth 33$ inches, and weight, 95 Ibs., his colour
bluish fawn, slightly brindled, the muzzle and ears being blue.
His nearest competitor for perfection was, after Hector,
probably Mr. Hood Wright's Bevis, a darkish red brown
brindle of about 29 inches. Mr. Wright was the breeder of
Champion Selwood Morven, who was the celebrity of his race
about 1897, and who became the property of Mr. Harry
Rawson. This stately dog was a dark heather brindle, stand-
ing 32t inches at the shoulder, with a chest girth of 34^
inches.
A few years ago breeders were inclined to mar the beauty of
the Deerhound by a too anxious endeavour to obtain great
size rather than to preserve the genuine type ; but this error
has been sufficiently corrected, with the result that symmetry
and elegance conjoined with the desired attributes of speed are
not sacrificed. The qualities aimed at now are a height of
something less than 30 inches, and a weight not greater than
105 Ibs., with straight fore-legs and short, cat-like feet, a
deep chest, with broad, powerful loins, slightly arched, and
strength of hind-quarters, with well-bent stifles, and the hocks
well let down. Straight stifles are objectionable, giving a
stilty appearance. Thick shoulders are equally a blemish to
be avoided, as also a too great heaviness of bone. The
following is the accepted standard of merit.
Head — The head should be broadest at the ears, tapering slightly
to the eyes, with the muzzle tapering more decidedly to the nose.
The muzzle should be pointed, but the teeth and lips level. The head
should be long, the skull flat rather than round, with a very slight rise
over the eyes, but with nothing approaching a stop. The skull should
be coated with moderately long hair which is softer than the rest
of the coat. The nose should be black (though in some blue-fawns
the colour is blue) and slightly aquiline. In the lighter-coloured dogs
a black muzzle is preferred. There should be a good moustache* of
THE DEERHOUND 99
rather silky hair, and a fair beard. Ears — The ears should be set on high,
and, in repose, folded back like the Greyhound's, though raised above
the head in excitement without losing the fold, and even, in some cases,
semi-erect. A prick ear is bad. A big, thick ear, hanging flat to the
head, or heavily coated with long hair, is the worst of faults. The ear
should be soft, glossy, and like a mouse's coat to the touch, and the
smaller it is the better. It should have no long coat or long fringe,
but there is often a silky, silvery coat on the body of the ear and the
tip. Whatever the general colour, the ears should be black or dark-
coloured. Neck and Shoulders — The neck should be long — that is,
of the length that befits the Greyhound character of the dog. An
over-long neck is not necessary, nor desirable, for the dog is not required
to stoop in his work like a Greyhound, and it must be remembered
that the mane, which every good specimen should have, detracts from
the apparent length of neck. Moreover, a Deerhound requires a very
strong neck to hold a stag. The nape of the neck should be very
prominent where the head is set on, and the throat should be clean-cut
at the angle and prominent. The shoulders should be well sloped,
the blades well back, with not too much width between them. Loaded
and straight shoulders are very bad faults. Stern — Stern should be
tolerably long, tapering, and reaching to within 1$ inches of the ground,
and about 1$ inches below the hocks. When the dog is still, dropped
perfectly straight down, or curved. Wien in motion it should be
curved when excited, in no case to be lifted out of the line of the back.
It should be well covered with hair, on the inside thick and wiry, under-
side longer, and towards the end a slight fringe is not objectionable.
A curl or ring tail is very undesirable. Eyes — The eyes should be dark :
generally they are dark brown or hazel. A very light eye is not liked.
The eye is moderately full with a soft look in repose, but a keen, far-
away gaze when the dog is roused. The rims of the eyelids should be
black. Body — The body and general formation is that of a Greyhound
of larger size and bone. Chest deep rather than broad, but not too
narrow and flat-sided. The loin well arched and drooping to the tail.
A straight back is not desirable, this formation being unsuitable for
going uphill, and very unsightly. Legs and Feet — The legs should be
broad and flat, a good broad forearm and elbow being desirable. Fore-
legs, of course, as straight as possible. Feet close and compact, with
well-arched toes. The hind-quarters drooping, and as broad and
powerful as possible, the hips being set wide apart. The hind-legs
should be well bent at the stifle, with great length from the hip to the
hock, which should be broad and flat. Cow hocks, weak pasterns,
straight stifles, and splay feet are very bad faults. Coat — The hair
on the body, neck, and quarters should be harsh and wiry, and about
3 inches or 4 inches long ; that on the head, breast, and belly is much
softer. There should be a slight hairy fringe on the inside of the fore
and hind-legs, but nothing approaching to the feathering of a Collie.
The Deerhound should be a shaggy dog, but not over coated. A woolly
coat is bad. Some good strains have a slight mixture of silky coat
with the hard, which is preferable to a woolly coat, but the proper
covering is a thick, close-lying, ragged coat, harsh or crisp to the touch.
Colour — Colour is much a matter of fancy. But there is no manner of
ioo DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
doubt that the dark blue-grey is the most preferred. Next come
the darker and lighter greys or brindles, the darkest being generally
preferred. Yellow and sandy-red or red-fawn, especially with black
points — i.e., ears and muzzle — are also in equal estimation, this being
the colour of the oldest known strains, the McNeil and the Chesthill
Menzles. White is condemned by all the old authorities, but a white
chest and white toes, occurring as they do in a great many of the
darkest-coloured dogs, are not so greatly objected to, but the less the
better, as the Deerhound is a self-coloured dog. A white blaze on the
head or a white collar should entirely disqualify. In other cases,
though passable, an attempt should be made to get rid of white
markings. The less white the better, but a slight white tip to the
stern occurs in the best strains. Height of Dogs — From 28 inches to
30 inches, or even more if there be symmetry without coarseness, which,
however, is rare. Height of Bitches — From 26 inches upwards. There
can be no objection to a bitch being large, unless she is too coarse,
as even at her greatest height she does not approach that of the dog,
and, therefore, could not well be too big for work, as over-big dogs are.
Besides, a big bitch is good for breeding and keeping up the size.
Weight — From 85 pounds to 105 pounds in dogs ; from 65 pounds to
80 pounds in bitches.
Among the more prominent owners of Deerhounds at the
present time are Mrs. H. Armstrong, Mrs. W. C. Grew, Mrs.
Janvrin Dickson, Miss A. Doxford, Mr. Harry Rawson, and
Mr. H. McLauchin. Mrs. Armstrong is the breeder of two
beautiful dog hounds in Talisman and Laird of Abbotsford,
and of- two typically good bitches in Fair Maid of Perth
and Bride of Lammermoor. Mrs. Grew owns many
admirable specimens, among them being Blair Athol, Ayr-
shire, Kenil worth, and Ferraline. Her Ayrshire is considered
by some judges to be the most perfect Deerhound exhibited
for some time past. He is somewhat large, perhaps, but he is
throughout a hound of excellent quality and character, having
a most typical head, with lovely eyes and expression, perfect
front, feet and hind-quarters. Other judges would give the
palm to Mr. Harry Rawson 's St. Ronan's Ranger, who is
certainly difficult to excel in all the characteristics most
desirable in the breed.
CHAPTER XVII
THE BORZOI OR RUSSIAN WOLFHOUND
OF the many foreign varieties of the dog that have been
introduced into this country within recent years, there is not
one among the larger breeds that has made greater headway
in the public favour than the Borzoi, or Russian Wolfhound.
Nor is this to be wondered at. The most graceful and elegant
of all breeds, combining symmetry with strength, the wearer
of a lovely silky coat that a toy dog might envy, the length of
head, possessed by no other breed — all go to make the Borzoi
the favourite he has become.
He is essentially what our American cousins would call a
" spectacular " dog. Given, for example, the best team of
terriers and a fifth-rate team of Borzois, which attracts the
more attention and admiration from the man in the street ?
Which does he turn again to look at ? Not the terriers ! Add
to this that the Borzoi makes a capital house dog, is, as a rule,
affectionate and a good companion, it is not to be wondered at
that he has attained the dignified position in the canine world
which he now holds.
In his native country the Borzoi is employed, as his English
name implies, in hunting the wolf and also smaller game, in-
cluding foxes and hares.
Several methods of hunting the larger game are adopted, one
form being as follows. Wolves being reported to be present
in the neighbourhood, the hunters set out on horseback, each
holding in his left hand a leash of three Borzois, as nearly
matched as possible in size, speed, and colour. Arrived at the
scene of action, the chief huntsman stations the hunters at
101
iQ2 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
separate points every hundred yards or so round the wood.
A pack of hounds is sent in to draw the quarry, and on the
wolves breaking cover the nearest hunter slips his dogs. These
endeavour to seize their prey by the neck, where they hold him
until the hunter arrives, throws himself from his horse, and
with his knife puts an end to the fray.
Another method is to advance across the open country at
intervals of about two hundred yards, slipping the dogs at
any game they may put up.
Trials are also held in Russia. These take place in a large
railed enclosure, the wolves being brought in carts similar to
our deer carts. In this case a brace of dogs is loosed on the
wolf. The whole merit of the course is when the hounds can
overtake the wolf and pin him to the ground, so that the
keepers can secure him alive. It follows, therefore, that in
this case also the hounds must be of equal speed, so that they
reach the wolf simultaneously ; one dog would, of course, be
unable to hold him.
Naturally, the dogs have to be trained to the work, for
which purpose the best wolves are taken alive and sent to the
kennels, where the young dogs are taught to pin him in such
a manner that he cannot turn and use his teeth. There seems
to be no reason why the Borzoi should not be used for coursing
in this country.
One of the first examples of the breed exhibited in England
was owned by Messrs. Hill and Ashton, of Sheffield, about
1880, at which time good specimens were imported by the
Rev. J. C. Macdona and Lady Emily Peel, whose Sandringham
and Czar excited general admiration. It was then known as
the Siberian Wolfhound. Some years later the Duchess of
Newcastle obtained several fine dogs, and from this stock Her
Grace founded the kennel which has since become so famous.
Later still, Queen Alexandra received from the Czar a gift
of a leash of these stately hounds, one of them being Alex, who
quickly achieved honours as a champion.
The breed has become as fashionable in the United States as
THE BORZOI 103
in Great Britain, and some excellent specimens are to be seen
at the annual shows at Madison Square Gardens.
To take the points of the breed in detail, the description of
the perfect Borzoi is as follows : —
Head— This should be long, lean, and well balanced, and the length,
from the tip of the nose to the eyes, must be the same as *™m the eyes
to the occiput. A dog may have a long head, but the length may be
an in front of the eyes The heads of this breed have greatly improved
the last few years ; fewer " apple-headed " specimens, and more of the
desired triangular heads being seen. The skull should be flat and
narrow, the stop not perceptible, the muzzle long^ and tapering Too
much stress cannot be laid on the importance of the head being well
filled up before the eyes. The head, from forehead to nose, should be
so fine that the direction of the bones and principal veins can be seen
clearly, and in profile should appear rather Roman nosed. Bitches
should be even narrower in head than dogs. The Eyes should be dark
expressive, almond shaped, and not too far apart. The Ears like those
of a Greyhound, small, thin, and placed well back on the head, with the
tips, when thrown back, almost touching behind the occiput It is
not a fault if the dog can raise his ears erect when excited or looking
after game, although some English judges dislike this frequent char-
acteristic. The head should be carried somewhat low, with the neck
continuing the line of the back. Shoulders-Clean and sloping well
back, i.e., the shoulder blades should almost touch one another. Chest
—Deep and somewhat narrow. It must be capacious, but the capacity
must be got from depth, and not from " barrel " ribs— a bad fault in
^running hound. Back-Rather bony, and free from any cavity m the
spinal column, the arch in the back being more marked in the dog than
in the bitch. Loins— Broad and very powerful showing plenty of
muscular development. Thighs-Long and well ^eloped, wto
good second thigh. The muscle in the Borzoi is longer than in t
Greyhound. Ribs— Slightly sprung, very deep, reaching to the elbow.
Fore-legs-Lean and straight. Seen from the front they should be
narrow and from the side broad at the shoulder and narrowing graduaUy
down to the foot, the bone appearing flat and not round as in th
Foxhound. Hind-legs— The least thing under the body when standing
still, not straight, and the stifle slightly bent. They should, of course
be straight as regards each other, and not " cow-hocked," but straight
hfnd legfimply I want of speed. Feet-Like those of the Deerhound,
rather long. The toes close together and well arched Coat-Long
silky, not woolly ; either flat, wavy, or curly. On the head ears, ai
front-legs it should be short and smooth; on the neck the frill should
be profuse and rather curly ; on the chest and the rest of the body, the
tail and hind-quarters, it should be long; the fore- egs being well
feathered. Tali-Long, well feathered, and not gaily earned tt
should be carried well down, almost touching the ground. Height-
Docs from 29 inches upwards at shoulder, bitches from 27 inches
upwards. (Originally 27 inches and 26 inches. Altered at a general
merttag of the Borzoi Club, held February, 1906.) Faults— Head short
104 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
and thick ; too much stop ; parti-coloured nose ; eyes too wide apart ;
heavy ears ; heavy shoulders ; wide chest ; " barrel " ribbed ; dew-
claws ; elbows turned out ; wide behind. Also light eyes and over or
undershot jaws. Colour — The Club standard makes no mention of
colour. White, of course, should predominate; fawn, lemon, orange,
brindle, blue, slate and black markings are met with. Too much
of the latter, or black and tan markings, are disliked. Whole coloured
dogs are also seen.
The foregoing description embodies the standard of points
as laid down and adopted by the Borzoi Club, interpolated
with some remarks for the further guidance of the novice.
The Borzoi Club was founded in 1892, and now consists of
about fifty members, with the Duke and Duchess of Newcastle
as joint-presidents. It does much good work for the breed,
guaranteeing classes at shows, where otherwise few or none
would be given, encouraging the breeding of high-class Borzois
by offering its valuable challenge cups and other special prizes,
and generally looking after the interests of the breed.
Although the Club standard of height has been raised from
27 and 26 inches to 29 and 27 inches for dogs and bitches
respectively, it must be borne in mind that the best dogs of to-
day far exceed these measurements, and, unless exceptionally
good in other points, a dog of 29 inches at shoulder would
stand little or no chance in the showing under the majority of
English judges ; indeed, bitches of 29 to 30 inches are by no
means uncommon.
Not many of us can afford to start at the top of the tree, and,
except for the favoured few to whom money is no object,
and who can buy ready-made champions, there is no better
way of starting a kennel than to purchase a really good bitch,
one, say, capable of winning at all but the more important
shows. She must be of good pedigree, strong, and healthy ;
such an one ought to be obtained for £15 upwards. Mate her
to the best dog whose blood " nicks " suitably with hers, but
do not waste time and money breeding from fourth-rate stud
dogs, for if you do it is certain you will only meet with disap-
pointment. On the other hand, if you have had little or no
experience of dogs, you may possibly prefer to start with
THE BORZOI 105
a puppy. If so, place yourself in the hands of a breeder
with a reputation at stake (unless you have a friend
who understands the breed). It is a fact that even a " cast
off " from a good strain that has been bred for certain points
for years is more likely to turn out a better dog than a pup
whose dam has been mated " haphazard " to some dog who
may or may not have been a good one. Big kennels also gener-
ally possess the best bitches and breed from them, and the
bitch is quite as important a factor as the sire. If, however,
you prefer to rely on your own judgment, and wish to choose
a puppy yourself from a litter, select the one with the longest
head, biggest bone, smallest ears, and longest tail, or as many
of these qualities as you can find combined in one individual.
Coat is a secondary matter in quite a young pup ; here one
should be guided by the coat of the sire and dam. Still, choose
a pup with a heavy coat, if possible, although when this puppy
coat is cast, the dog may not grow so good as one as some of
the litter who in early life were smoother.
As regards size, a Borzoi pup of three months should
measure about 19 inches at the shoulder, at six months about
25 inches, and at nine months from 27 to 29 inches. After ten
or twelve months, growth is very slow, although some con-
tinue adding to their height until they are a year and a half
old. They will, of course, increase in girth of chest and
develop muscle until two years old ; a Borzoi may be con-
sidered in its prime at from three to four years of age. As
regards price, from £5 to £10 is not too much to pay for a really
good pup of about eight to ten weeks old ; if you pay less you
will probably get only a second-rate one. Having purchased
your puppy, there are three principal items to be considered
if you intend to rear him well ; firstly, his diet must be varied ;
secondly, the pup must have unlimited exercise, and never be
kept on the chain ; thirdly, internal parasites must be kept
in check. For young puppies " Ruby " Worm Cure is most
efficacious, and does not distress the patient.
Food should be given at regular intervals — not less fre-
106 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
quently than five times a day to newly weaned puppies — and
may consist of porridge, bread and milk, raw meat minced
fine, and any table scraps, with plenty of new milk. Well-
boiled paunch is also greatly appreciated, and, being easily
digested, may be given freely.
One important part of the puppy's education that must by
no means be neglected is to accustom him to go on the collar
and lead. Borzoi pups are, as a rule extremely nervous, and
it requires great patience in some cases to train them to the
lead. Short lessons should be given when about four months
old. If you can induce the puppy to think it is a new game,
well and good — he will take to it naturally ; but once he looks
upon it as something to be dreaded, it means hours of patient
work to break him in.
If you decide on commencing with a brood bitch, see that
she is dosed for worms before visiting the dog ; that she is in
good hard condition — not fat, however ; and, if possible,
accompany her yourself and see her mated. For the first week
rather less than her usual quantity of food should be given ;
afterwards feed as her appetite dictates, but do not let her get
too fat, or she may have a bad time when whelping. For two
days before the puppies are due give sloppy but nourishing
diet, and this should be continued, given slightly warm, for
four or five days after the pups are born. Borzois as a rule
make excellent mothers, but to rear them well they should not
be allowed to suckle more than five — or, if a strong, big bitch,
six — pups. If the litter is larger, it is better to destroy the
remainder, or use a foster mother.
Whatever they may be in their native land — and the first
imported specimens were perhaps rather uncertain in temper —
the Borzoi, as we know him in this country, is affectionate,
devoted to his owner, friendly with his kennel companions
and makes a capital house dog. As a lady's companion he is
hard to beat ; indeed, a glance at any show catalogue will
prove that the majority of Borzois are owned by the gentle sex.
No one need be deterred from keeping a Borzoi by a remark
THE BORZOI 107
the writer has heard hundreds of times at shows : " Those
dogs are so delicate." This is not the case. Once over
distemper troubles — and the breed certainly does suffer badly
if it contracts the disease — the Borzoi is as hardy as most
breeds, if not hardier. Given a good dry kennel and plenty of
straw, no weather is too cold for them. Damp, of course,
must be avoided, but this applies equally to other breeds.
The adult hound, like the puppy, should never be kept on
chain ; a kennel with a railed-in run should be provided, or a
loose box makes a capital place for those kept out of doors,
otherwise no different treatment is required from that of other
large breeds.
CHAPTER XVIII
THE GREYHOUND
THE Greyhound is the oldest and most conservative of all
dogs, and his type has altered singularly little during the
seven thousand years in which he is known to have been
cherished for his speed, and kept by men for running down the
gazelle or coursing the hare. The earliest references to him
are far back in the primitive ages, long before he was beauti-
fully depicted by Assyrian artists, straining at the leash or
racing after his prey across the desert sands. The Egyptians
loved him and appreciated him centuries before the pyramids
were built. In those days he wore a feathered tail, and his ears
were heavy with a silken fringe of hair. His type was that of
the modern Arabian Slughi, who is the direct and unaltered
descendant of the ancient hound. The glorious King Solomon
referred to him (Proverbs xxx. 31) as being one of the four
things which " go well and are comely in going — a lion, which
is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away from any ;
a Greyhound ; an he goat also ; and a king against whom there
is no rising up."
That the Greyhound is " comely in going," as well as in
repose, was recognised very early by the Greeks, whose artists
were fond of introducing this graceful animal as an ornament
in their decorative workmanship. In their metal work, their
carvings in ivory and stone, and more particularly as parts
in the designs on their terra-cot ta oil bottles, wine coolers,
and other vases, the Greyhound is frequently to be seen, some-
times following the hare, and always in remarkably character-
istic attitudes. Usually these Greek Greyhounds are repre-
108
THE GREYHOUND 109
sented with prick ears, but occasionally the true rose ear is
shown.
All writings in connection with Greyhounds point to the
high estimation in which the dog has always been held. Dr.
Caius, when referring to the name, says " The Greyhound hath
his name of this word gre ; which word soundeth gradus in
Latin, in Englishe degree, because among all dogges these are
the most principall, occupying the chiefest place, and being
simply and absolutely the best of the gentle kinde of Houndes."
It was not until the reign of Queen Elizabeth that coursing
in England was conducted under established rules. These
were drawn up by the then Duke of Norfolk. The sport
quickly grew in favour, and continued to increase in popu-
larity until the first coursing club was established at Swaffham
in 1776. Then in 1780 the Ashdown Park Meeting came into
existence. The Newmarket Meeting in 1805 was the next
fixture that was inaugurated, and this now remains with the
champion stakes as its most important event. Afterwards
came the Amesbury Meeting in 1822, but Amesbury, like
Ashdown, although for many years one of the most celebrated
institutions of the description, has fallen from its high estate.
Three years later came the Altcar Club. But it was not until
eleven years after this period that the Waterloo Cup was in-
stituted (in 1836), to win which is the highest ambition of
followers of the leash.
At the present time the run for the Waterloo Cup, which at
the commencement was an eight dog stake, is composed of
sixty-four nominations, the entry fee for which is £25. The
winner takes £500, and the cup, value £100, presented by the
Earl of Sefton, the runner up £200, the third and fourth £50
each, four dogs £36 each, eight dogs £20 each, and sixteen dogs
£10 each. The thirty-two dogs beaten in the first round of
the Cup compete for the Waterloo Purse, value £215, and the
sixteen dogs run out in the second round for the Waterloo
Plate, value £145. The winner in each case taking £75, and
the runner up £30, the remainder being divided amongst the
no DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
most forward runners in the respective stakes. The Waterloo
Cup holds the same position in coursing circles as the Derby
does in horse racing.
The National Coursing Club was established in 1858, when
a stud book was commenced, and a code of laws drawn up for
the regulation of coursing meetings. This is recognised in
Australia and other parts of the world where coursing meetings
are held. The Stud Book, of which Mr. W. F. Lamonby is
the keeper, contains particulars of all the best-known Grey-
hounds in the United Kingdom, and a dog is not allowed to
compete at any of the large meetings held under Coursing Club
rules unless it has been duly entered with its pedigree com-
plete. In fact, the National Coursing Club is more particular
in connection with the pedigrees of Greyhounds being correctly
given, than the Kennel Club is about dogs that are exhibited ;
and that is saying a great deal. It holds the same position
in coursing matters as the Jockey Club does in racing. It is
in fact, the supreme authority on all matters connected with
coursing.
Various opinions have been advanced as to the best size
and weight for a Greyhound. Like horses, Greyhounds
run in all forms, and there is no doubt that a really good big
one will always have an advantage over the little ones ; but
it is so difficult to find the former, and most of the chief
winners of the Waterloo Cup have been comparatively small.
Coomassie was the smallest Greyhound that ever won the blue
ribbon of the leash ; she drew the scale at 42 Ibs., and was
credited with the win of the Cup on two occasions. Bab at
the Bowster, who is considered by many good judges to have
been the best bitch that ever ran, was 2 Ibs. more ; she
won the Cup once, and many other stakes, as she was run all
over the country and was not kept for the big event. Master
McGrath was a small dog, and only weighed 53 Ibs., but he
won the Waterloo Cup three times. Fullerton, who was a
much bigger dog, and was four times declared the winner of
the Cup, was 56 Ibs. in weight.
THE GREYHOUND in
There are very few Greyhounds that have won the Waterloo
Cup more than once, but Cerito was credited with it three
times, namely, in 1850, 1852, and 1853, when it was a thirty-
two dog stake. Canaradzo, Bit of Fashion, Miss Glendine,
Herschel, Thoughtless Beauty, and Fabulous Fortune, are
probably some of the best Greyhounds that ever ran besides
those already alluded to. Bit of Fashion was the dam of
Fullerton, who shares with Master McGrath the reputation
of being the two best Greyhounds that ever ran. But Master
McGrath came first. During his remarkable career in public
he won thirty-six courses out of thirty-seven, the only time
that he was defeated being the 1870 at his third attempt to
win the Waterloo Cup, and the flag went up in favour of Mr.
Trevor's Lady Lyons. He, however, retrieved his good
fortune the following year, when he again ran through the
stake.
Fullerton, who, when he won all his honours, was the pro-
perty of Colonel North, was bred by Mr. James Dent in North-
umberland. Colonel North gave 850 guineas for him, which
was then stated to be the highest price ever paid for a Grey-
hound. He ran five times altogether for the Waterloo Cup,
and was declared the winner on four occasions. The first
time was in 1889, when he divided with his kennel companion
Troughend. Then he won the Cup outright the three follow-
ing years. In 1893, however, after having been put to the
stud, at which he proved a failure, he was again trained for
the Cup, but age had begun to tell its tale, and after winning
one course he was beaten by Mr. Keating's Full Captain, in
the second. This was one of the two occasions upon which
out of thirty-three courses he failed to raise the flag. On the
other he was beaten by Mr. Gladstone's Greengage, when
running the deciding course at Haydock Park.
It appears like descending from the sublime to the ridicu-
lous to mention the Greyhound as a show dog, after the many
brilliant performances that have been recorded of him in the
leash, but there are many dogs elegant in outline with fine
ii2 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
muscular development that are to be seen in the judging ring.
Mr. George Raper's Roasting Hot is one of the most prominent
winners of the day ; he is a fawn and white, as handsome as a
peacock and, moreover, is a good dog in the field. On one
occasion after competing successfully at the Kennel Club
Show at the Crystal Palace, he was taken to a coursing meeting
where he won the stake in which he was entered. A brace of
very beautiful bitches are Mr. F. Eyer's Dorset Girl and Miss
W. Easton's Okeford Queen.
Although, as a rule, the most consistent winners in the leash
have not been noted for their good looks, there have been ex-
ceptions in which the opposite has been the case. Fullerton
was a good-looking dog, if not quite up to the form required in
the show ring. Mr. Harding Cox has had several specimens
that could run well and win prizes as show dogs, and the
same may be said of Miss Maud May's fine kennel of Grey-
hounds in the North of England. In the South of England
Mrs. A. Dewe* keeps a number of longtails that when not
winning prizes at the Crystal Palace and elsewhere are running
at Plumpton and other meetings in Sussex.
The following is the standard by which Greyhounds should
be judged.
Head — Long and narrow, slightly wider in skull, allowing for plenty
of brain room ; lips tight, without any flew, and eyes bright and in-
telligent and dark in colour. Ears — Small and fine in texture, and semi-
pricked. Teeth — Very strong and level, and not decayed or cankered.
Neck — Lengthy, without any throatiness, but muscular. Shoulders —
Placed well back in the body, and fairly muscular, without being loaded.
Fore-legs — Perfectly straight, set well into the shoulders, with strong
pasterns and toes set well up and close together. Body — Chest very
deep, with fairly well-sprung ribs ; muscular back and loins, and well
cut up in the flanks. Hind-quarters — Wide and well let down, with
hocks well bent and close to the ground, with very muscular haunches,
showing great propelling power, and tail long and fine and tapering with
a slight upward curve. Coat — Fairly fine in texture. Weight — The
ideal weight of a dog is from 60 pounds to 65 pounds, of a bitch from 55
pounds to 60 pounds.
CHAPTER XIX
THE WHIPPET
FOR elegance of style, cleanliness of habit, and graceful
movement, few dogs can equal the Whippet, for which reason
his popularity as a companion has increased very greatly
within the past decade. No more affectionate creature is to be
found, yet he possesses considerable determination and
pluck, and on occasion will defend himself in his own way.
Too fragile in his anatomy for fighting, in the ordinary sense
of the word, when molested, he will " snap " at his opponent
with such celerity as to take even the most watchful by
surprise ; while his strength of jaw, combined with its com-
paratively great length, enables him to inflict severe punish-
ment at the first grab. It was probably owing to this habit,
which is common to all Whippets, that they were orginally
known as Snap-Dogs.
The Whippet existed as a separate breed long before dog
shows were thought of, and at a time when records of pedigrees
were not officially preserved ; but it is very certain that the
Greyhound had a share in his genealogical history, for not
only should his appearance be precisely that of a Greyhound
in miniature, but the purpose for which he was bred is very
similar to that for which his larger prototype is still used, the
only difference being that rabbits were coursed by Whippets,
and hares by Greyhounds.
This sport has been mainly confined to the working classes,
the colliers of Lancashire, Yorkshire, Durham, and North-
umberland being particularly devoted to it. As a rule the
contests are handicaps, the starting point of each competitor
i 113
ii4 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
being regulated by its weight ; but the winners of previous
important events are penalised in addition, according to their
presumed merit, by having a certain number of yards deducted
from the start to which weight alone would otherwise have
entitled them. Each dog is taken to its stipulated mark
according to the handicap, and there laid hold of by the nape
of the neck and hind-quarters ; the real starter stands behind
the lot, and after warning all to be ready, discharges a pistol,
upon which each attendant swings his dog as far forward as
he can possibly throw him, but always making sure that he
alights on his feet. The distance covered in the race is
generally 200 yards, minus the starts allotted, and some idea
of the speed at which these very active little animals can
travel may be gleaned from the fact that the full distance has
been covered in rather under 12 seconds.
In order to induce each dog to do its best, the owner, or
more probably the trainer stands beyond the winning post,
and frantically waves a towel or very stout rag. Accompanied
by a babel of noise, the race is started, and in less time than it
takes to write it the competitors reach the goal, one and all
as they finish taking a flying leap at their trainer's towel, to
which they hold on with such tenacity that they are swung
round in the air. The speed at which they are travelling makes
this movement necessary in many cases to enable the dog to
avoid accident, particularly where the space beyond the
winning mark is limited. For racing purposes there is a wide
margin of size allowed to the dogs, anything from 8 Ibs. to
23 Ibs., or even more, being eligible ; but in view of the handi-
cap terms those dogs which possess speed, and scale 9 to 12 Ibs.
amongst the light-weights, and over 17 Ibs. in the heavy
ones, are considered to have the best chance.
Probably there is no locality where the pastime has main-
tained such a firm hold as in and around Oldham, one of the
most famous tracks in the world being at Higginshaw, where
not infrequently three hundred dogs are entered in one handi-
cap. The Borough grounds at Oldham and the Wellington
THE WHIPPET 115
grounds at Bury are also noted centres for races. It is a
remarkable but well recognised fact that bitches are faster than
dogs, and in consequence the terms upon which they are
handicapped are varied. The general custom is to allow a
dog 2\ to 3 yards advantage for every pound difference
in weight between it and the gentle sex.
One of the fastest dogs that ever ran was Collier Lad,
but he was almost a Greyhound as regards size. Whitefoot,
whose owner challenged the world, and was considered to be
quite unbeatable, was a Whippet in every sense of the word,
and was a nice medium weight, though probably Capplebank's
time of ii \ seconds stands alone. The best of the present-day
racing dogs are Polly fro' Astley (15 Ibs.) and Dinah (nj Ibs),
and of those which promise well for the future, Eva, whose
weight is only g| Ibs., is most prominent.
The training of Whippets is by no means easy work, and is
more expensive than most people imagine. The very choicest
food is deemed absolutely necessary, in fact a Whippet
undergoing preparation for an important race is provided
with the most wholesome fare. Choice mutton-chops, beef-
steaks and similar dainties comprise their daily portion. Of
course exercise is a necessity, but it is not considered good
policy to allow a dog in training to gambol about either on the
roads or in the fields. Indeed, all dogs which are undergoing
preparation for a race are practically deprived of their free-
dom, in lieu of which they are walked along hard roads
secured by a lead ; and for fear of their picking up the least
bit of refuse each is securely muzzled by a box-like leather
arrangement which completely envelops the jaws, but which is
freely perforated to permit proper breathing. Any distance
between six and a dozen miles a day, according to the stamina
and condition of the dog, is supposed to be the proper amount
of exercise, and scales are brought into use every few days to
gauge the effect which is being produced. In addition
to this private trials are necessary in the presence of someone
who is accustomed to timing races by the aid of a stop-watch —
n6 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
a by no means easy task, considering that a slight particle of a
second means so many yards, and the average speed working
out at about 16 yards per second — nearly twice as fast as the
fastest pedestrian sprinter, and altogether beyond the power
of the fleetest race-horse.
Colour in the Whippet is absolutely of no importance to a
good judge, though possibly what is known as the peach fawn
is the favourite among amateur fanciers. , Red fawns, blue or
slate coloured, black, brindled of various shades, and these
colours intermingled with white, are most to be met with,
however. In some quarters the idea is prevalent that Whip-
pets are delicate in their constitution, but this is a popular
error. Probably their disinclination to go out of doors on
their own initiative when the weather is cold and wet may
account for the opinion, but given the opportunity to roam
about a house the Whippet will find a comfortable place, and
will rarely ail anything. In scores of houses Whippets go to
bed with the children, and are so clean that even scrupulous
housewives take no objection to their finding their way under
the clothes to the foot of the bed, thereby securing their own
protection and serving as an excellent footwarmer in the
winter months.
Probably in no other breed, except the Greyhound, do
judges attach so little importance to the shape of the head ;
so long as the jaws are fairly long and the colour of the eyes
somewhat in keeping with that of the body, very little else
is looked for in front of the ears. As in the case of racing
competitors, really good dogs for show purposes are much
more difficult to find than bitches. The best of the males are
not so classical in outline as the females, though some of them
are as good in legs and feet — points which are of the greatest
importance. Though it is not quite in accordance with the
standard laid down by the club, it will be found that most
judges favour dogs which are about 17 Ibs. weight, and bitches
which are between 15 Ibs. and 16 Ibs., the 20 Ibs. mentioned
in the standard of points, without variation for sex being
THE WHIPPET 117
considered altogether too heavy. Appearances are sometimes
deceptive, but these dogs are rarely weighed for exhibition
purposes, the trained eye of the judge being sufficient guide
to the size of the competitors according to his partiality for
middle-size, big, or little animals.
The South Durham and Yorkshire Show at Darlington has
the credit for first introducing classes for Whippets into the
prize ring. Previous to this it had not long been generally
recognised as a distinct breed, and it is within the last twenty
years that the Kennel Club has placed the breed on its
recognised list.
The following is the standard of points adopted by the
Whippet Club :—
Head — Long and lean, rather wide between the eyes and flat on the
top ; the jaw powerful yet cleanly cut ; the teeth level and white.
Eyes — Bright and fiery. Ears — Small, fine in texture and rose shape.
Neck — Long and muscular, elegantly arched and free from throatiness.
Shoulders — Oblique and muscular. Chest — Deep and capacious.
Back — Broad and square, rather long and slightly arched over the loin,
which should be strong and powerful. Fore-legs — Rather long, well
set under the dog, possessing a fair amount of bone. Hind-quarters —
Strong and broad across stifles, well bent thighs, broad and muscular ;
hocks well let down. Feet — Round, well split up, with strong soles.
Coat — Fine and close. Colour — Black, red, white, brindle, fawn, blue,
and the various mixtures of each. Weight — Twenty pounds.
CHAPTER XX
THE FOXHOUND
THERE is plenty of proof that Foxhounds were the very first
of the canine races in Great Britain to come under the domina-
tion of scientific breeding. There had been hounds of more
ancient origin, such as the Southern Hound and the Blood-
hound ; but something different was wanted towards the end
of the seventeenth century to hunt the wild deer that had
become somewhat scattered after Cromwell's civil war. The
demand was consequently for a quicker hound than those
hitherto known, and people devoted to the chase began to
breed it. Whether there were crosses at first remains in dis-
pute, but there is more probability that the policy adopted
was one of selection ; those exceptionally fast were bred with
the same, until the slow, steady line hunter was improved out
of his very character and shape. At any rate, there are
proofs that in 1710 hounds were to be found in packs, carefully
bred, and that at that time some of the hunts in question
devoted attention to the fox.
The first known kennel of all was at Wardour Castle, and
was said to have been established in 1696 ; but more reliable
is the date of the Brocklesby, commenced in 1713. The first
record of a pack of hounds being sold was in 1730, when a
Mr. Fownes sold his pack to a Mr. Bowles. The latter gentle-
man showed great sport with them in Yorkshire. At that
time Lord Hertford began to hunt the Cotswold country, in
Gloucestershire, and was the first to draw coverts for fox in the
modern style. Very soon after this it became the fashion
of the day to breed hounds. Many of the nobility and large
118
THE FOXHOUND 119
landowners devoted much of their time and money to it, and
would take long journeys to get fresh blood. It was the rule
to breed hounds on the most scientific principles, and by 1750
there were fifty such breeders, including the fifth Duke of
Beaufort, Lord Lincoln, Lord Stamford, Lord Percival, Lord
Granby, Lord Ludlow, Lord Vernon, Lord Carlisle, Lord Mex-
bro, Sir Walter Vavasour, Sir Roland Winns, Mr. Noel, Mr.
Stanhope, Mr. Meynell, Mr. Barry, and Mr. Charles Pelham. The
last-named gentleman, afterward the first Lord Yarborough,
was perhaps the most indefatigable of all, as he was the first
to start the system of walking puppies amongst his tenantry,
on the Brocklesby estates, and of keeping lists of hound pedi-
grees and ages. By 1760 all the above-named noblemen
and gentlemen had been breeding from each other's kennels.
The hounds were registered, as can be seen now in Lord Middle-
ton's private kennel stud book, through which his lordship
can trace the pedigrees of his present pack for a hundred and
sixty years to hounds that were entered in 1760, got by Ray tor,
son of Merryman and grandson of Lord Granby's Ranter.
Another pedigree was that of Ruby, who is credited with a
numerous progeny, as she was by Raytor out of Mr. Stapleton's
Cruel by Sailor, a son of Lord Granby's Sailor by Mr. Noel's
Victor. This shows well how seriously Foxhound breeding
was gone into before the middle of the eighteenth century.
Portraits prove also that a hound approaching very closely
to those of modern times had been produced at this early
period. By such evidence the Foxhound had outstripped the
Harrier in size by nearly five inches, as the latter does not
appear to have been more than eighteen inches, and the early
Foxhound would have been twenty- three inches. Then the
heavy shoulder, the dewlap, and jowl of the Southern Hound
had been got rid of, and the coat had been somewhat altered
The old school of breeders had evidently determined upon
great speed and the ability to stay, through the medium of deep
ribs, heart room, wide loins, length of quarter, quality of bone,
straightness of fore-leg, and round strong feet ; the slack loined,
120 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
loosely built, and splayfooted hound of former generations
had been left behind. To such perfection, indeed, had the
Foxhound attained, that long before the close of the eighteenth
century sportsmen were clamouring as to what a Foxhound
could do.
With so much prominence given to the Foxhound in the
comparatively short period of forty or fifty years, it is no
wonder that individual hounds became very celebrated in
almost every part of the country. Mr. Pelham's Rockwood
Tickler and Bumper were names well known in Yorkshire, and
Lord Ludlow's Powerful and Growler were talked of both in
Lincolnshire and Warwickshire. From the first, indeed, it
appeared that certain hounds were very much better than
others, and old huntsmen have generally declared for one
which was in the whole length of their careers (sometimes
extending to fifty years) immeasurably superior to all others
they had hunted. Harry Ayris, who was for just half a
century with Lord FitzHardinge, declared to the day of his
death that nothing had equalled Cromwell ; Osbaldeston said
the same of Furrier, and Frank Gillard never falters from the
opinion that Weathergage was quite by himself as the best
hound he ever hunted. The Foxhound Kennel Stud Book
abounds in the strongest proofs that hereditary merit in their
work has been transmitted from these wonderful hounds,
and they really make the history of the Foxhound.
There have been many great hounds ; but there must be
the greatest of the great, and the following twelve
hounds are probably the best England has ever seen : —
Mr. Corbet's Trojan (1780), Lord Middle ton's Vanguard
(1815), Mr.Osbaldeston's Furrier (1820), Lord Henry Bentinck's
Contest (1848), Lord FitzHardinge's Cromwell (1855), Mr.
Drake's Duster (1844), Sir Richard Sutton's Dryden (1849),
the Duke of Rutland's Senator (1862), Duke of Rutland's
Weathergage (1874), the Earl of Coventry's Rambler (1874),
Mr. E. P. Rawnsley's Freeman (1884), and the Graf ton
Woodman (1892).
THE FOXHOUND 121
Breeding Foxhounds is one of the most fascinating of all the
pleasures of animal culture, as the above list, so full of extreme
merit, can be traced for nearly a hundred and thirty years.
It cannot be said that the prices paid for Foxhounds in very
recent times have greatly exceeded those of the past. In 1790
Colonel Thornton sold Merkin for four hogsheads of claret, and
the seller to have two couples of the whelps. Then in 1808 Mr.
John Warde sold a pack of hounds to Lord Althorpe for 1,000
guineas, and the same gentleman sold another pack for the
same sum a few years later. In 1838 Lord Suffield offered 3,000
guineas for Mr. Lambton's pack, and afterwads sold it to Sir
Matthew White Ridley for 2,500. In 1834 Osbaldeston sold
ten couples of bitches, all descendants of Furrier, for 2,000
sovereigns, or £100 a hound — a record that was almost eclipsed
at the sale of Lord Politmore's hounds in 1870, when twenty-
two couples of dog-hounds sold for 3,365 guineas.
Of late years there has been the sale of the Quorn for, it was
said, £3,000, and the late Lord Willoughby de Broke valued
the North Warwickshire for the county to purchase at £2,500.
In 1903 the Atherstone was valued by Mr. Rawlence, the
well-known representative of Tattersall's, at £3,500, or some-
thing like £50 a hound, and that has been considered very
cheap. If, therefore, modern prices have not greatly exceeded
those of the far past, there has not been any particular diminu-
tion, and there is no doubt about it that if certain packs could
be purchased the prices would far exceed anything ever
reached before.
Foxhounds have very much improved in looks during the
past five-and-twenty years, and unquestionably they are quite
as good in the field or better. Whenever hounds have good
foxes in front of them, and good huntsmen to assist or watch
over them, they are as able as ever, notwithstanding that the
drawbacks to good sport are more numerous now than they
used to be. The noble hound will always be good enough,
and ever and anon this is shown by a run of the Great Wood
order, to hunt over five-and-twenty to thirty miles at a pace
122 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
to settle all the horses, and yet every hound will be up. There
has been a slight tendency to increase size of late years. The
Belvoir dog-hound is within very little of 24 inches instead of
23^, the standard of twenty years ago, and this increase has
become very general. In elegance of form nothing has been
lost, and there can be no other to possess beauty combined
with power and the essential points for pace and endurance in
the same degree as a Foxhound.
A detailed description of the Foxhound is here given : —
Head — Somewhat broad, not peaked like the Bloodhound, but long
from the apex to the frontal bones, eyebrows very prominent, cheeks
cut clean from the eye to the nostril, ears set low and in their natural
condition thin and shapely, but not large, nose large, jaw strong and
level, and small dewlaps, expression fierce, and with the best often
repellent. Eyes — Very bright and deeply set, full of determination,
and with a very steady expression. The look of the Foxhound is very
remarkable. Neck — Should be perfectly clean, no skin ruflle whatever,
or neck cloth, as huntsmen call it. The length of neck is of importance,
both for stooping and giving an air of majesty. Shoulders — The blades
should be well into the back, and should slant, otherwise be wide and
strong, to meet the arms, that should be long and powerful. Legs and
Feet — The bone should be perfectly straight from the arm downward,
and descend in the same degree of size to the ankles, or, as the saying
is, " down to his toes." The knee should be almost flat and level ;
there should be no curve until coming to the toes, which should be very
strong, round, cat-shaped, and every toe clean set as it were. Fore-
ribs and Brisket — Deep, fine ribs are very essential, and the brisket
should be well below the elbows. Back and Loins — Back should be
straight. A hollow back offends the eye much, and a roach back is
worse. The loin wide, back ribs deep and long, a slight prominence
over the croup. Quarters and Hocks — The quarters cannot be too long,
full, showing a second thigh, and meeting a straight hock low down, the
shank bone short, and meeting shapely feet. Coat — The coat is hard
hair, but short and smooth, the texture is as stiff as bristles, but beau-
tifully laid. Colour — Belvoir tan, which is brown and black, perfectly
intermixed, with white markings of various shapes and sizes. The
white should be very opaque and clear. Black and white, with tan
markings on head and stifles. Badger pied — a kind of grey and white.
Lemon pied, light yellow and white. Hare pied, a darker yellow and
white. Stern — Long and carried gaily, but not curled ; often half white.
Height— Dogs from 23 i to 24 inches ; bitches from 22 to 22 i inches.
CHAPTER XXI
THE HARRIER AND THE BEAGLE
THE Harrier is a distinct breed of hound used for hunting the
hare — or rather it should be said the Association of Masters of
Harriers are doing their utmost to perpetuate this breed ; the
Harrier Stud Book bearing witness thereto : and it is to be
deplored that so many Masters of Harriers ignore this fact, and
are content to go solely to Foxhound kennels to start their packs
of Harriers, choosing, maybe, 20 inch to 22 inch Foxhounds,
and thenceforth calling them Harriers. It is, indeed, a
common belief that the modern Harrier is but a smaller edition
of the Foxhound, employed for hunting the hare instead of the
fox, and it is almost useless to reiterate that it is a distinct
breed of hound that can boast of possibly greater antiquity
than any other, or to insist upon the fact that Xenophon
himself kept a pack of Harriers over two thousands years ago.
Nevertheless, in general appearance the Harrier and the
Foxhound are very much alike, the one obvious distinction
being that of size.
Opinions differ as to what standard of height it is advisable
to aim at. If you want to hunt your Harriers on foot, 16
inches is quite big enough — almost too big to run with ;
but if you are riding to them, 20 inches is a useful height, or
even 19 inches. Either is a good workable size, and such
hounds should be able to slip along fast enough for most people.
Choose your hounds with plenty of bone, but not too clumsy
or heavy ; a round, firm neck, not too short, with a swan-like
curve ; a lean head with a long muzzle and fairly short ears ;
a broad chest with plenty of lung room, fore-legs like gun
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124 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
barrels, straight and strong ; hind-legs with good thighs and
well let down hocks ; feet, round like cats' feet, and a well-set-
on, tapering stern. Such a make and shape should see many
seasons through, and allow you to be certain of pace and
endurance in your pack. It is useless to lay down any hard
and fast rule as to colour. It is so much a matter of individual
taste. Some Masters have a great fancy for the dark colour-
ing of the old Southern Hound, but nothing could look much
smarter than a good combination of Belvoir tan with black and
white. Puppies, as a rule, a week or two after they are whelped,
show a greater proportion of dark marking than any other,
but this as they grow older soon alters, and their white
marking becomes much more conspicuous. As in the case of the
Foxhound, the Harrier is very seldom kept as a companion
apart from the pack. But puppies are usually sent out to walk,
and may easily be procured to be kept and reared until they
are old enough to be entered to their work. Doubtless the
rearing of a Harrier puppy is a great responsibility, but it is
also a delight to many who feel that they are helping in the
advancement of a great national sport.
There is nothing to surpass the beauty of the Beagle either
to see him on the flags of his kennel or in unravelling
a difficulty on the line of a dodging hare. In neat-
ness he is really the little model of a Foxhound. He is,
of course, finer, but with the length of neck so perfect in the
bigger hound, the little shoulders of the same pattern, and
the typical quarters and second thighs. Then how quick
he is in his casts ! and when he is fairly on a line, of course
he sticks to it, as the saying is, " like a beagle."
Beagles have been carefully preserved for a great many
years, and in some cases they have been in families for almost
centuries. In the hereditary hunting establishments they
have been frequently found, as the medium of amusement
and instruction in hunting for the juvenile members of the
house ; and there can be nothing more likely to instil the
THE HARRIER AND THE BEAGLE 125
right principles of venery into the youthful mind than to
follow all the ways of these little hounds.
Dorsetshire used to be the great county for Beagles. The
downs there were exactly fitted for them, and years ago,
when roe-deer were preserved on the large estates, Beagles
were used to hunt this small breed of deer. Mr. Cranes'
Beagles were noted at the time, and also those of a Colonel
Harding. It is on record that King George IV. had a
strong partiality for Beagles, and was wont to see them
work on the downs round about Brighton. The uses
of the Beagle in the early days of the last century,
however, were a good deal diversified. They were hunted
in big woodlands to drive game to the gun, and perhaps the
ordinary Beagle of from 12 inches to 14 inches was not big
enough for the requirements of the times. It is quite possible,
therefore, that the Beagle was crossed with the Welsh, Southern
or Otterhound, to get more size and power, as there certainly
was a Welsh rough-coated Beagle of good 18 inches, and an
almost identical contemporary that was called the Essex
Beagle. Sixty years ago such hounds were common enough,
but possibly through the adoption of the more prevalent plan
of beating coverts, and Spaniels being in more general use,
the vocation of the Beagle in this particular direction died out,
and a big rough-coated Beagle is now very rarely seen.
That a great many of the true order were bred became very
manifest as soon as the Harrier and Beagle Association was
formed, and more particularly when a section of the Peter-
borough Hound Show was reserved for them. Then they
seemed to spring from every part of the country. In 1896
one became well acquainted with many packs that had
apparently held aloof from the dog shows. There was the
Cheshire, the Christ Church (Oxford), Mr. T. Johnson's, the
Royal Rock, the Thorpe Satchville, the Worcestershire, etc.,
and of late there have been many more that are as well known
as packs of Foxhounds. One hears now of the Chauston, the
Halstead Place — very noted indeed — the Hulton, the Leigh
126 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
Park, the Stoke Place, the Edinburgh, the Surbiton, the
Trinity Foot, the Wooddale, Mrs. G. W. Hilliard's, Mrs.
Price's, and Mrs. Turner's.
Beagle owners, like the masters of Foxhound kennels, have
never been very partial to the ordinary dog shows, and so
the development of the up-to-date Beagle, as seen at recent
shows, is somewhat new. It is just as it should be, and if
more people take up " beagling " it may not be in the least
surprising. They are very beautiful little hounds, can give
a vast amount of amusement, and, for the matter of that,
healthy exercise. If a stout runner can keep within fairly
easy distance of a pack of well-bred Beagles on the line of
a lively Jack hare, he is in the sort of condition to be generally
envied.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BEAGLE: Head— Fair length, powerful
without being coarse ; skull domed, moderately wide, with an indication
of peak, stop well defined, muzzle not snipy, and lips well flewed. Nose
— Black, broad, and nostrils well expanded. Eyes — Brown, dark hazel
or hazel, not deep set nor bulgy, and with a mild expression. Ears
— Long, set on low, fine in texture, and hanging in a graceful fold
close to the cheek. Neck — Moderately long, slightly arched, the throat
showing some dewlap. Shoulders — Clean and slightly sloping. Body
— Short between the couplings, well let down in chest, ribs fairly well
sprung and well ribbed up, with powerful and not tucked-up loins.
Hind-quarters — Very muscular about the thighs, stifles and hocks well
bent, and hocks well let down. Fore-legs — Quite straight, well under
the dog, of good substance and round in the bone. Feet — Round, well
knuckled up, and strongly padded. Stern — Moderate length, set on
high, thick and carried gaily, but not curled over the back. Colour —
Any recognised hound colour. Coat — Smooth variety : Smooth,
very dense and not too fine or short. Rough variety : Very dense
and wiry. Height — Not exceeding 16 inches. Pocket Beagles must
not exceed 10 inches. General Appearance — A compactly-built hound,
without coarseness, conveying the impression of great stamina and
vivacity.
CHAPTER XXII
THE POINTER
IT has never been made quite clear in history why the Spaniards
had a dog that was very remarkable for pointing all kinds of
game. They have always been a pleasure-loving people,
certainly, but more inclined to bull-fighting than field-craft,
and yet as early as 1600 they must have had a better dog for
game-finding than could have been found in any other part of
the world. Singularly enough, too, the most esteemed breeds
in many countries can be traced from the same source, such
as the Russian Pointer, the German Pointer, the French
double-nosed Griffon, and, far more important still, the English
Pointer. A view has been taken that the Spanish double-
nosed Pointer was introduced into England about two hundred
years ago, when fire-arms were beginning to be popular
for fowling purposes. Setters and Spaniels had been used to
find and drive birds into nets, but as the Spanish Pointer
became known it was apparently considered that he alone had
the capacity to find game for the gun. This must have been
towards the end of the seventeenth century, and for the next
fifty years at least something very slow was wanted to meet
the necessities of the old-fashioned flintlock gun, which
occupied many minutes in loading and getting into position.
Improvements came by degrees, until they set in very rapidly,
but probably by 1750, when hunting had progressed a good
deal, and pace was increased in all pastimes, the old-fashioned
Pointer was voted a nuisance through his extreme caution and
tortoise-like movements.
There is evidence, through portraits, that Pointers had been
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128 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
altogether changed by the year 1800, but it is possible that
the breed then had been continued by selection rather than
by crossing for a couple of decades, as it is quite certain that
by 1815 sportsmen were still dissatisfied with the want of pace
in the Pointer, and many sportsmen are known to have
crossed their Pointers with Foxhounds at about that time.
By 1835 the old Spanish Pointer had been left behind, and the
English dog was a perfect model for pace, stamina, resolution,
and nerve. The breed was exactly adapted to the require-
ments of that day, which was not quite as fast as the present.
Men shot with good Joe Mantons, did their own loading, and
walked to their dogs, working them right and left by hand
and whistle. The dogs beat their ground methodically, their
heads at the right level for body scent, and when they came
on game, down they were ; the dog that had got it pointing,
and the other barking or awaiting developments. There was
nothing more beautiful than the work of a well-bred and well-
broken brace of Pointers, or more perfect than the way a
man got his shots from them. There was nothing slow about
them, but on the contrary they went a great pace, seemed to
shoot into the very currents of air for scent, and yet there was
no impatience about them such as might have been expected
from the Foxhound cross. The truth of it was that the
capacity to concentrate the whole attention on the object
found was so intense as to have lessened every other propensity.
The rush of the Foxhound had been absorbed by the additional
force of the Pointer character. There has been nothing at all
like it in canine culture, and it came out so wonderfully after
men had been shooting in the above manner for about forty
years.
It was nearing the end of this period that field trials began
to occupy the attention of breeders and sportsmen, and
although Setters had been getting into equal repute for the
beauty of their work, there was something more brilliant about
the Pointers at first. Brockton's Bounce was a magnificent
dog, a winner on the show bench, and of the first Field Trial
THE POINTER 129
in England. Newton's Ranger was another of the early per-
formers, and he was very staunch and brilliant, but it was in
the next five years that the most extraordinary Pointer merit
was seen, as quite incomparable was Sir Richard Garth's
Drake, who was just five generations from the Spanish Pointer.
Drake was rather a tall, gaunt dog, but with immense depth
of girth, long shoulders, long haunches, and a benevolent,
quiet countenance. There was nothing very attractive about
him when walking about at Stafford prior to his trial, but the
moment he was down he seemed to paralyse his opponent,
as he went half as fast again. It was calculated that he went
fifty miles an hour, and at this tremendous pace he would stop
as if petrified, and the momentum would cover him with earth
and dust. He did not seem capable of making a mistake,
and his birds were always at about the same distance from
him, to show thereby his extraordinary nose and confidence.
Nothing in his day could beat him in a field. He got some
good stock, but they were not generally show form, the bitches
by him being mostly light and small, and his sons a bit high
on the leg. None of them had his pace, but some were capital
performers, such as Sir Thomas Lennard's Mallard, Mr.
George Pilkington's Tory, Mr. Lloyd Price's Luck of Edenhall,
winner of the Field Trial Derby, 1878 ; Lord Downe's Mars
and Bounce, and Mr. Barclay Field's Riot. When Sir Richard
Garth went to India and sold his kennel of Pointers at Tatter-
sail's, Mr. Lloyd Price gave 150 guineas for Drake.
The mid-century owners and breeders had probably all the
advantages of what a past generation had done, as there were
certainly many wonderful Pointers in the 'fifties, 'sixties, and
'seventies, as old men living to-day will freely allow. They
were produced very regularly, too, in a marvellous type of
perfection.
Mr. William Arkwright, of Sutton Scarsdale, Derbyshire,
has probably the best kennel in England at the present time.
He discovered and revived an old breed of the North of England
that was black, and bred for a great many years by Mr. Pape,
j
130 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
of Carlisle, and his father before him. With these Mr. Arkwright
has bred to the best working strains, with the result that
he has had many good field trial winners. For a good many
years now Elias Bishop, of Newton Abbot, has kept up the old
breeds of Devon Pointers, the Ch. Bangs, the Mikes, and the
Brackenburg Romps, and his have been amongst the best at
the shows and the field trials during the past few years.
There are, of course, exceptions to the rule that many of the
modern Pointers do not carry about them the air of their
true business ; but it would appear that fewer people keep
them now than was the case a quarter of a century ago, owing
to the advance of quick-shooting, otherwise driving, and the
consequent falling away of the old-fashioned methods, both
for the stubble and the moor. However, there are many still
who enjoy the work of dogs, and it would be a sin indeed in
the calendar of British sports if the fine old breed of Pointer
were allowed even to deteriorate. The apparent danger is
that the personal or individual element is dying out. In
the 'seventies the name of Drake, Bang, or Garnet were like
household words. People talked of the great Pointers. They
were spoken of in club chat or gossip ; written about ; and
the prospects of the moors were much associated with the up-
to-date characters of the Pointers and Setters. There is
very little of this sort of talk now-a-days. Guns are more
critically spoken of. There is, however, a wide enough world
to supply with first-class Pointers. In England's numerous
colonies it may be much more fitting to shoot over dogs. It
has been tried in South Africa with marvellous results.
Descendants of Bang have delighted the lone colonist on Cape
partridge and quails, and Pointers suit the climate, whereas
Setters do not. The Pointer is a noble breed to take up, as
those still in middle life have seen its extraordinary merit
whenever bred in the right way. As to the essential points
of the breed, they may be set down as follows : —
Head — Should be wide from ear to ear, long and slanting from the
top of the skull to the setting on of the nose ; cheek bones prominent ;
THE POINTER 131
ears set low and thin in texture, soft and velvety ; nose broad at the
base ; mouth large and jaws level. Neck — The neck should be very
strong, but long and slightly arched, meeting shoulders well knit into
the back, which should be straight and joining a wide loin. There should
be great depth of heart room, very deep brisket, narrow chest rather
than otherwise, shoulders long and slanting. Legs and Feet — Should be
as nearly like the Foxhound's as possible. There should be really no
difference, as they must be straight, the knees big, and the bone should
be of goodly size down to the toes, and the feet should be very round
and cat-shaped. Hind-quarters — A great feature in the Pointer is his
hind-quarters. He cannot well be too long in the haunch or strong in
the stifle, which should be well bent, and the muscles in the second thigh
of a good Pointer are always remarkable. The hocks may be straighter
than even in a Foxhound, as, in pulling up sharp on his point, he in a
great measure throws his weight on them ; the shank bones below the
hock should be short. Colour — There have been good ones of all colours.
The Derby colours were always liver and whites for their Pointers
and black breasted reds for their game-cocks. The Seftons were liver
and whites also, and so were the Edges of Strelly, but mostly heavily
ticked. Brockton's Bounce was so, and so were Ch. Bang, Mike, and
Young Bang. Drake was more of the Derby colour ; dark liver and
white. Mr. Whitehouse's were mostly lemon and whites, after Hamlet
of that colour, and notable ones of the same hue were Squire, Bang
Bang, and Mr. Whitehouse's Pax and Priam, all winners of field trials.
There have been several very good black and whites. Mr. Francis's,
afterwards Mr. Salter's, Chang was a field trial winner of this colour.
A still better one was Mr. S. Becket's Rector, a somewhat mean little
dog to look at, but quite extraordinary in his work, as he won the
Pointer Puppy Stake at Shrewsbury and the All-Aged Stake three
years in succession. Mr. Salter's Romp family were quite remarkable
in colour — a white ground, heavily shot with black in patches and in
ticks. There have never been any better Pointers than these. There
have been, and are, good black Pointers also. Height and Size — A big
Pointer dog stands from 24 £ inches to 25 inches at the shoulder. Old
Ch. Bang and Young Bang were of the former height, and the great
bitch, Mr. Lloyd Price's Belle, was 24 inches. For big Pointers 60
pounds is about the weight for dogs and 56 pounds bitches ; smaller
size, 54 pounds dogs and 48 pounds bitches. There have been some
very good ones still smaller.
CHAPTER XXIII
THE SETTERS
I. THE ENGLISH SETTER. — In some form or other Setters are
to be found wherever guns are in frequent use and irrespective
of the precise class of work they have to perform ; but their
proper sphere is either on the moors, when the red grouse are
in quest, or on the stubbles and amongst the root crops, when
September comes in, and the partridge season commences.
Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, is supposed to have been
the first person to train setting dogs in the manner which
has been commonly adopted by his successors. His lordship
lived in the middle of the sixteenth century, and was therefore
a contemporary of Dr. Caius, who may possibly have been
indebted to the Earl for information when, in his work on
English Dogges, he wrote of the Setter under the name of the
Index.
Though Setters are divided into three distinct varieties,
— The English, the Irish and the Gordon, or Black and Tan —
there can be no doubt that all have a common origin, though
it is scarcely probable, in view of their dissimilarity, that the
same individual ancestors can be supposed to be their original
progenitors. Nearly all authorities agree that the Spaniel
family is accountable on one side, and this contention is borne
out to a considerable extent by old illustrations and paintings
of Setters at work, in which they are invariably depicted as
being very much like the old liver and white Spaniel, though
of different colours. Doubt exists as to the other side of their
heredity, but it does not necessarily follow that all those who
first bred them used the same means. Of the theories put
132
THE SETTERS 133
forward, that which carries the most presumptive evidence
must go to the credit of the old Spanish Pointer. Where else
could they inherit that wonderful scenting power, that style
in which they draw up to their game, their statuesque attitude
when on point, and, above all, the staunchness and patience
by which they hold their game spellbound until the shooter
has time to walk leisurely up, even from a considerable
distance ?
But, apart from the question of their origin, the different
varieties have many other attributes in common ; all perform
the same kind of work, and in the same manner ; consequently
the system of breaking or training them varies only according
to the temper or ideas of those who undertake their schooling.
Few dogs are more admired than English Setters, and those
who are looked upon as professional exhibitors have not been
slow to recognise the fact that when a really good young dog
makes its appearance it is a formidable rival amongst all other
breeds when the special prizes come to be allotted.
Seen either at its legitimate work as a gun dog or as a
domestic companion, the English Setter is one of the most
graceful and beautiful of the canine race, and its elegant form
and feathery coat command instant admiration. Twenty
years ago it was known by several distinct names, among the
more important being the Blue Beltons and Laveracks, and
this regardless of any consideration as to whether or not the
dogs were in any way connected by relationship to the stock
which had earned fame for either of these time-honoured
names. It was the great increase in the number of shows
and some confusion on the part of exhibitors that made it
necessary for the Kennel Club to classify under one heading
these and others which had attained some amount of
notability and the old terms have gradually been dropped.
Doubtless the English Setter Club has done much since its
institution in 1890 to encourage this breed of dog, and has
proved the usefulness of the club by providing two very
valuable trophies, the Exhibitors' Challenge Cup and the
134 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
Field Trial Challenge Cup, for competition amongst its
members, besides having liberally supported all the leading
shows ; hence it has rightly come to be regarded as the
only authority from which an acceptable and official dictum
for the guidance of others can emanate.
The following is the standard of points issued by the
English Setter Club : —
Head — The head should be long and lean, with well-defined stop.
The skull oval from ear to ear, showing plenty of brain room, and with
a well-defined occipital protuberance. The muzzle moderately deep
and fairly square ; from the stop to the point of the nose should be long,
the nostrils wide, and the jaws of nearly equal length ; flews not too
pendulous. The colour of the nose should be black, or dark, or light
liver, according to the colour of the coat. The eyes should be bright,
mild, and intelligent, and of a dark hazel colour, the darker the better.
The ears of moderate length, set on low and hanging in neat folds close
to the cheek ; the tip should be velvety, the upper part clothed with fine
silky hair. Neck — The neck should be rather long, muscular, and lean,
slightly arched at the crest, and clean cut where it joins the head ;
towards the shoulder it should be larger, and very muscular, not throaty
with any pendulosity below the throat, but elegant and bloodlike in
appearance. Body — The body should be of moderate length, with
shoulders well set back or oblique ; back short and level ; loins wide,
slightly arched, strong and muscular. Chest deep in the brisket, with
good round widely-sprung ribs, deep in the back ribs — that is, well
ribbed up. Legs and Feet — The stifles should be well bent and ragged,
thighs long from hip to hock. The forearm big and very muscular,
the elbow well let down. Pasterns short, muscular, and straight.
The feet very close and compact, and well protected by hair between
the toes. Tall — The tail should be set on almost in a line with the back ;
medium length, not curly or ropy, to be slightly curved or scimitar-
shaped, but with no tendency to turn upwards ; the flag or feather
hanging in long, pendant flakes ; the feather should not commence
at the root, but slightly below, and increase in length to the middle,
then gradually taper off towards the end ; and the hair long, bright,
soft and silky, wavy but not curly. Coat and Feathering — The coat
from the back of the head in a line with the ears ought to be slightly
wavy, long, and silky, which should be the case with the coat generally ;
the breeches and fore-legs, nearly down to the feet, should be well
feathered. Colour and Markings — The colour may be either black and
white, lemon and white, liver and white, or tricolour — that is, black,
white, and tan ; those without heavy patches of colour on the body,
but flecked all over preferred.
II. THE IRISH SETTER. — Though this variety has not
attained such popularity as its English cousin, it is not because
it is regarded as being less pleasing to the eye, for in general
THE SETTERS 135
appearance of style and outline there is very little difference ;
in fact, none, if the chiselling of the head and colour of the
coat be except ed. The beautiful rich golden, chestnut colour
which predominates in all well-bred specimens is in itself
sufficient to account for the great favour in which they are
regarded generally, while their disposition is sufficiently
engaging to attract the attention of those who desire to have
a moderate-sized dog as a companion, rather than either a
very large or very small one. Probably this accounts for so
many lady exhibitors in England preferring them to the
other varieties of Setters. We have to go over to its native
country, however, to find the breed most highly esteemed
as a sporting dog for actual work, and there it is naturally first
favourite ; in fact, very few of either of the other varieties
are to be met with from one end of the Green Isle to the other.
It has been suggested that all Irish Setters are too headstrong
to make really high-class field trial dogs. Some of them, on
the contrary, are quite as great in speed and not only as clever
at their business, but quite as keen-nosed as other Setters.
Some which have competed within the past few years at the
Irish Red Setter Club's trials have had as rivals some of
the best Pointers from England and Scotland, and have
successfully held their own.
The Secretary of the Irish Setter Club is Mr. S. Brown, 27,
Eustace Street, Dublin, and the standard of points as laid
down by that authority is as follows : —
Head — The head should be long and lean. The skull oval (from ear
to ear), having plenty of brain room, and with well-defined occipital
protuberance. Brows raised, showing stop. The muzzle moderately
deep and fairly square at the end. From the stop to the point of the
nose should be fairly long, the nostrils wide, and the jaws of nearly
equal length ; flews not to be pendulous. The colour of the nose
dark mahogany or dark walnut, and that of the eyes (which ought not to
be too large) rich hazel or brown. The ears to be of moderate size, fine
in texture, set on low, well back, and hanging in a neat fold close to the
head. Neck — The neck should be moderately long, very muscular,
but not too thick ; slightly arched, free from all tendency to throati-
ness. Body — The body should be long. Shoulders fine at the points,
deep and sloping well back. The chest as deep as possible, rather
136 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
narrow in front. The ribs well sprung, leaving plenty of lung room.
Loins muscular and slightly arched. The hind-quarters wide and
powerful. Legs and Feet — The hind-legs from hip to hock should be
long and muscular ; from hock to heel short and strong. The stifle
and hock joints well bent, and not inclined either in or out. The fore-
legs should be straight and sinewy, having plenty of bone, with elbows
free, well let down, and, like the hocks, not inclined either in or out.
The feet small, very firm ; toes strong, close together, and arched.
Tall — The tail should be of moderate length, set on rather low, strong
at root, and tapering to a fine point, to be carried as nearly as possible
on a level or below the back. Coat — On the head, front of legs, and
tips of ears the coat should be short and fine ; but on all other parts
of the body and legs it ought to be of moderate length, flat, and as free
as possible from curl or wave. Feathering — The feather on the upper
portion of the ears should be long and silky ; on the back of fore and
hind-legs long and fine ; a fair amount of hair on the belly, forming a
nice fringe, which may extend on chest and throat. Feet to be well
feathered between the toes. Tail to have a nice fringe of moderately
long hair, decreasing in length as it approaches the point. All feather-
ing to be as straight and as flat as possible. Colour and Markings —
The colour should be a rich golden chestnut, with no trace whatever of
black ; white on chest, throat, or toes, or a small star on the forehead,
or a narrow streak or blaze on the nose or face not to disqualify.
III. THE BLACK AND TAN SETTER.— Originally this variety
was known as the Gordon Setter, but this title was only partly
correct, as the particular dogs first favoured by the Duke of
Gordon, from whom they took the name, were black, tan, and
white, heavily built, and somewhat clumsy in appearance.
But the introduction of the Irish blood had the effect of making
a racier-looking dog more fashionable, the presence of white on
the chest was looked upon with disfavour, and the Kennel
Club settled the difficulty of name by abolishing the term
" Gordon " altogether.
Very few of this variety have appeared at field trials for
several years past, but that cannot be considered a valid reason
for stigmatising them as " old-men's dogs," as some narrow-
minded faddists delight in calling them. On the few occasions
when the opportunity has been presented they have acquitted
themselves at least as well as, and on some occasions better
than, their rivals of other varieties, proving to be as fast, as
staunch, and as obedient as any of them. A notable example
of this occurred during the season of 1902 and 1903, when Mr.
THE SETTERS 137
Isaac Sharpe's Stylish Ranger was so remarkably successful
at the trials.
It is very difficult to account for the lack of interest which
is taken in the variety outside Scotland, but the fact remains
that very few have appeared at field trials within recent years,
and that only about four owners are troubling the officials of
English shows regularly at the present time.
In France, Belgium, Norway, and especially in Russia this
handsome sporting dog is a far greater favourite than it is
in Great Britain, not only for work with the gun, but as a
companion, and it is a fact that at many a Continental dog show
more specimens of the breed are exhibited than could be
gathered together in the whole of the United Kingdom.
The want of an active organisation which would foster
and encourage the interests of the Black and Tan Setter is
much to be deplored, and is, without doubt, the chief cause of
its being so much neglected, for in these strenuous days, when
almost every breed or variety of breed is backed up by its own
votaries, it cannot be expected that such as are not constantly
kept in prominence will receive anything more than scant
consideration.
The Black and Tan Setter is heavier than the English or
Irish varieties, but shows more of the hound and less of the
Spaniel. The head is stronger than that of the English Setter,
with a deeper and broader muzzle and heavier lips. The ears
are also somewhat longer, and the eyes frequently show
the haw. The black should be as jet, and entirely free from
white. The tan on the cheeks and over the eyes, on the feet
and pasterns, should be bright and clearly defined, and the
feathering on the fore-legs and thighs should also be a rich,
dark mahogany tan.
Amongst the oldest and most successful owners of Setters
who have consistently competed at field trials may be men-
tioned Colonel Cotes, whose Prince Frederick was probably
the most wonderful backer ever known. Messrs. Purcell-
Llewellyn, W. Arkwright, Elias and James Bishop, F. C. Lowe,
138 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
J. Shorthose, G. Potter and S. Smale, who may be considered
the oldest Setter judges, and who have owned dogs whose
prowess in the field has brought them high reputation. Mr.
B. J. Warwick has within recent years owned probably more
winners at field trials than any other owner, one of his being
Compton Bounce. Captain Heywood Lonsdale has on several
occasions proved the Ightfield strain to be staunch and true,
as witness the doughty deeds of Duke of that ilk, and the
splendid success he achieved at recent grouse trials in Scot-
land with his Ightfield Rob Roy, Mack, and Dot, the first-
named winning the all-aged stake, and the others being first
and third in the puppy stake. Mr. Herbert Mitchell has been
another good patron of the trials, and has won many important
stakes. Mr. A. T. Williams has also owned a few noted trial
winners, and from Scotland comes Mr. Isaac Sharpe, whose
Gordon Setter, Stylish Ranger, has effectually put a stop to
the silly argument that all this breed are old men's dogs.
Many of the older field trial men hold tenaciously to the
opinion that the modern exhibition Setter is useless for high-
class work, and contend that if field-trial winners are to be
produced they must be bred from noted working strains.
Doubtless this prejudice in favour of working dogs has been
engendered by the circumstance that many owners of cele-
brated bench winners care nothing about their dogs being
trained, in some cases generation after generation having been
bred simply for show purposes. Under such conditions it
is not to be wondered at that the capacity for fine scenting
properties and the natural aptitude for quickly picking up a
knowledge of their proper duties in the field is impaired.
But there is no reason why a good show dog should not also
be a good worker, and the recent edict of the Kennel Club
which rules that no gun dog shall be entitled to championship
honours until it has gained a certificate of merit in field trials
will doubtless tend towards a general improvement in the
working qualities of the breeds whose providence is in the
finding and retrieving of game.
CHAPTER XXIV
THE RETRIEVERS
IT is obviously useless to shoot game unless you can find it
after it has been wounded or killed, and from the earliest times
it has been the habit of sportsmen to train their dogs to do the
work which they could not always successfully do for them-
selves. The Pointers, Setters, and Spaniels of our forefathers
were carefully broken not only to find and stand their game,
but also to fetch the fallen birds. This use of the setting and
pointing dog is still common on the Continent and in the
United States, and there is no inaccuracy in a French artist
depicting a Pointer with a partridge in its mouth, or showing
a Setter retrieving waterfowl.
The Springer and the old curly-coated water-dog were
regarded as particularly adroit in the double work of finding
and retrieving. Pointers and Setters who had been thus
broken were found to deteriorate in steadiness in the field,
and it gradually came to be realised that even the Spaniel's
capacity for retrieving was limited. A larger and quicker
dog was wanted to divide the labour, and to be used solely
as a retriever in conjunction with the other gun dogs. The
Poodle was tried for retrieving with some success, and he
showed considerable aptitude in finding and fetching wounded
wild duck ; but he, too, was inclined to maul his birds and
deliver them dead. Even the old English Sheepdog was
occasionally engaged in the work, and various crosses with
Spaniel or Setter and Collie were attempted in the endeavour
to produce a grade breed having the desired qualities of a good
nose, a soft mouth, and an understanding brain, together with
139
140 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
a coat that would protect its wearer from the ill effects of
frequent immersion in water.
It was when these efforts were most active — namely about
the year 1850 — that new material was discovered in a black-
coated dog recently introduced into England from Labrador.
He was a natural water-dog, with a constitution impervious
to chills, and entirely free from the liability to ear canker,
which had always been a drawback to the use of the Spaniel
as a retriever of waterfowl. Moreover, he was himself reputed
to be a born retriever of game, and remarkably sagacious. His
importers called him a Spaniel — a breed name which at one
time was also applied to his relative the Newfoundland.
Probably there were not many specimens of the race in
England, and, although there is no record explicitly saying
so, it is conjectured that these were crossed with the English
Setter, producing what is now familiarly known as the black,
flat-coated Retriever.
One very remarkable attribute of the Retriever is that
notwithstanding the known fact that the parent stock was
mongrel, and that in the early dogs the Setter type largely
predominated, the ultimate result has favoured the Labrador
cross distinctly and prominently, proving how potent, even
when grafted upon a stock admittedly various, is the blood
of a pure race, and how powerful its influence for fixing type
and character over the other less vital elements with which it
is blended.
From the first, sportsmen recognised the extreme value of
the new retrieving dog. Strengthened and improved by the
Labrador blood, he had lost little if any of the Setter beauty
of form. He was a dignified, substantial, intelligent, good-
tempered, affectionate companion, faithful, talented, highly
cultivated, and esteemed, in the season and out of it, for his
mind as well as his beauty.
It is only comparatively recently that we have realised how
excellent an all-round sporting dog the Retriever has become.
In many cases, indeed, where grouse and partridge are driven
THE RETRIEVERS 141
or walked-up a well-broken, soft-mouthed Retriever is unques-
tionably superior to Pointer, Setter, or Spaniel, and for general
work in the field he is the best companion that a shooting
man can possess.
Doubtless in earlier days, when the art of training was less
thoroughly understood, the breaking of a dog was a matter of
infinite trouble to breeders. Most of the gun dogs could be
taught by patience and practice to retrieve fur or feather, but
game carefully and skilfully shot is easily rendered valueless
by being mumbled and mauled by powerful jaws not schooled
to gentleness. And this question of a tender mouth was
certainly one of the problems that perturbed the minds of the
originators of the breed. The difficulty was overcome by
process of selection, and by the exclusion from breeding
operations of all hard-mouthed specimens, with the happy
effect that in the present time it is exceptional to find a
working Retriever who does not know how to bring his bird
to hand without injuring it. A better knowledge of what is
expected of him distinguishes our modern Retriever. He
knows his duty, and is intensely eager to perform it, but he
no longer rushes off unbidden at the firing of the gun. He
has learned to remain at heel until he is ordered by word or
gesture from his master, upon whom he relies as his friend and
director.
It would be idle to expect that the offspring of unbroken
sire and dam can be as easily educated as a Retriever
whose parents before him have been properly trained.
Inherited qualities count for a great deal in the adaptability
of all sporting dogs, and the reason why one meets with so
many Retrievers that are incapable or disobedient or gun-shy
is simply that their preliminary education has been neglected —
the education which should begin when the dog is very young.
In his earliest youth he should be trained to prompt
obedience to a given word or a wave of the hand. It is well
to teach him very early to enter water, or he may be found
wanting when you require him to fetch a bird from river or
142 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
lake. Lessons in retrieving ought to be a part of his daily
routine. Equally necessary is it to break him in to the know-
ledge that sheep and lambs are not game to be chased, and
that rabbits and hares are to be discriminated from feathered
game.
Gun-shyness is often supposed to be hereditary ; but it is
not so. Any puppy can be cured of gun-shyness in half a
dozen short lessons. Sir Henry Smith's advice is to get your
puppy accustomed to the sound and sight of a gun being fired,
first at a distance and gradually nearer and nearer, until he
knows that no harm will come to him. Companionship and
sympathy between dog and master is the beginning and end
of the whole business, and there is a moral obligation between
them which ought never to be strained.
Both as a worker and as a show dog the flat-coated Retriever
has reached something very near to the ideal standard of
perfection which has been consistently bred up to. Careful
selection and systematic breeding, backed up by enthusiasm,
have resulted in the production of a dog combining useful
working qualities with the highest degree of beauty.
A very prominent admirer and breeder was the late Mr. S. E.
Shirley, the President of the Kennel Club, who owned many
Retrievers superlative both as workers and as show dogs,
and who probably did more for the breed than any other man
of his generation.
Mr. Shirley's work was carried on by Mr. Harding Cox,
who devoted much time and energy to the production of good
Retrievers, many of which were of Mr. Shirley's strain. Mr.
Cox's dogs deservedly achieved considerable fame for their
levelness of type, and the improvement in heads so noticeable
at the present time is to be ascribed to his breeding for this
point. Mr. L. Allen Shuter, the owner of Ch. Darenth and
other excellent Retrievers of his own breeding, claims also a
large share of credit for the part he has played in the general
improvement of the breed. Mr. C. A. Phillips, too, owned
admirable specimens, and the name of the late Lieut.-Colonel
o
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It
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THE RETRIEVERS 143
Cornwall Legh must be included. Many of Colonel Legh's
bitches were of Shirley blood, but it is believed that a breed
of Retrievers had existed at High Legh for several genera-
tions, with which a judicious cross was made, the result being
not only the formation of a remarkable kennel, but also a
decided influence for good upon the breed in general.
But since the Shirley days, when competition was more
limited than it is at present, no kennel of Retrievers has ever
attained anything like the distinction of that owned by Mr.
H. Reginald Cooke, at Riverside, Nantwich. By acquiring
the best specimens of the breed from all available sources, Mr.
Cooke has gathered together a stock which has never been
equalled. His ideas of type and conformation are the outcome
of close and attentive study and consistent practice, and
one needs to go to Riverside if one desires to see the highest
examples of what a modern flat-coated Retriever can be.
Since Dr. Bond Moore imparted to the Retriever a fixity
of character, the coats have become longer and less wavy,
and in conformation of skull, colour of eye, straightness of
legs, and quality of bone, there has been a perceptible
improvement.
As there is no club devoted to the breed, and consequently
no official standard of points, the following description of the
perfect Retriever is offered : —
General Appearance — That of a well-proportioned bright and active
sporting dog, showing power without lumber and raciness without
weediness. Head — Long, fine, without being weak, the muzzle square,
the underjaw strong with an absence of lippiness or throatiness. Eyes
— Dark as possible, with a very intelligent, mild expression. Neck —
Long and clean. Ears — Small, well set on, and carried close to the
head. Shoulders — Oblique, running well into the back, with plenty of
depth of chest. Body — Short and square, and well ribbed up. Stern
— Short and straight, and carried gaily, but not curled over the back.
Fore-legs — Straight, pasterns strong, teet small and round. Quarters —
Strong ; stifles well bent. Coat — Dense black or liver, of fine quality
and texture. Flat, not wavy. Weight — From 65 Ib. to 80 Ib. for dogs ;
bitches rather less.
As a rule the Retriever should be chosen for the intelligent
look of his face, and particular attention should be paid to the
144 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
shape of his head and to his eyes. His frame is important, o
course, but in the Retriever the mental qualities are of mor
significance than bodily points.
There has been a tendency in recent years among Retrieve
breeders to fall into the common error of exaggerating a par
ticular point, and of breeding dogs with a head far too fine an<
narrow — it is what has been aptly called the alligator head-
lacking in brain capacity and power of jaw. A perfect hea<
should be long and clean, but neither weak nor snipy. Th
eye should be placed just halfway between the occiput an<
the tip of the nose.
It is pleasing to add that to this beautiful breed the phras
" handsome is as handsome does " applies in full measure
Not only is the average Retriever of a companionable disposi
tion, with delightful intelligence that is always responsive
but he is a good and faithful guard and a courageous protecto
of person and property. It has already been said that th
majority of the best-looking Retrievers are also good workin]
dogs, and it may here be added that many of the most success
ful working dogs are sired by prize-winners in the show ring.
THE CURLY-COATED RETRIEVER
The curly-coated Retriever is commonly believed to b
of earlier origin than his flat-coated relative, and he is of les
pure descent. He probably owes ancestral tribute to th
Poodle. Such a cross may conceivably have been resortec
to by the early Retriever breeders, and there was little t<
lose from a merely sporting point of view from this aliei
introduction, for the Poodle is well known to be by nature
if not by systematic training, an excellent water dog, capabl
of being taught anything that the canine mind can compre
hend. During the early years of the nineteenth centuri
the Poodle was fairly plentiful in England, and we had n<
other curly-coated dog of similar size and type apart from thi
Irish Water Spaniel, who may himself lay claim to Poodl<
relationship ; while as to the Retriever, either curly o
THE RETRIEVERS 145
flat coated, he can in no sense be assigned to any country
outside of Great Britain. The presumption is strong that
the " gentleman from France " was largely instrumental in the
manufacture of the variety, but whatever the origin of the
curly-coated Retriever he is a beautiful dog, and one is gratified
to note that the old prejudice against him, and the old in-
dictment as to his hard mouth, are fast giving place to
praise of his intelligence and admiration of his working
abilities.
Speaking generally, it seems to be accepted that he is
slightly inferior in nose to his flat-coated cousin, and not quite
so easy to break, but there are many keepers and handlers
who have discovered in individual specimens extraordinary
merit in the field combined with great endurance. It is not
certain that any great improvement has been effected in the
variety during recent years, but there are particular dogs to-
day who are decidedly better than any that existed a dozen
years or more ago, when such celebrities as True, Old Sam,
King Koffee, Ben Wonder, Doden Ben, Lad and Una, were
prominent, and there is no doubt that the curly coats
attained show form in advance of the flat-coated variety.
The coat of the curly Retriever plays a very important
part in his value and personality. There are many kinds of
coat, but the only true and proper one is the close-fitting
" nigger curl," of which each knot is solid and inseparable.
A coat of this quality is not capable of improvement by any
method of grooming, for the simple reason that its natural
condition is in itself perfect. The little locks should be
so close together as to be impervious to water, and all parts
of the body should be evenly covered with them, including
the tail and legs. A bad class of coat, and one which readily
yields to the faker's art, is the thin open curl which by careful
manipulation can be greatly improved. Another bad quality
of coat is one in which, upon the withers and over the loins
in particular, the curls do not tighten up naturally, but are
large, loose, and soft to the feel. Regarding the dog as a
146 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
whole, the following may be taken as an all-round
description : —
General Appearance — That of a smart, active, clean-cut and alert
dog, full of go and fire — a sportsman from stem to stern. Head — Long
and not weedy in the muzzle, nor thick and coarse in the skull, but
tapering down and finishing with a stout broad muzzle. Skull — Should
be flat and moderately broad between the ears, which are rather small,
and well covered with hair. Ears — Should lie close to the side of the
head, but not dead in their carriage. Face — The face should be smooth,
and any indication of a forelock should be penalised. Eye — The eye
should in all cases be dark and not too deeply set. Neck — Well placed
in the shoulders and nicely arched, of moderate length and yet powerful
and free from throatiness. Shoulders — Well laid back and as free from
massiveness as possible, though there is a decided tendency in this
variety to such a fault. Legs — Straight and well covered with coat.
The bone should show quality and yet be fairly abundant. Feet —
Compact and hound-like. Body — Should show great power, with deep,
well-rounded ribs. As little cut-up in the flank as possible. Tail —
Strong at the base, set on in a line with the back and tapering to a
point, the size of the curls upon it diminishing gradually to the end.
Hind-quarters — Should show great development of muscle, with bent
hocks, the lower leg being strong and the hind feet compact. Any
suspicion of cow hocks should be heavily penalised. Colour — Mostly
a dull black. Some liver-coloured dogs are seen with very good coats
and bodies, but their heads are generally thick and coarse, and the colour
of their eyes does not always match, as it should do, with the colour of
the coat. A few dogs of this colour have achieved distinction on the
show bench.
THE LABRADOR
Within recent years the original smooth-coated Labrador
dog has taken its place as a recognised variety of the Retriever
and become prominent both at exhibitions and as a worker.
It is not probable that any have been imported into England for
the past quarter of a century, but without the assistance of
shows or imported blood they have survived marvellously.
Thanks especially to the kennels of such breeders as the
Dukes of Buccleuch and Hamilton, the Earl of Verulam,
Lords Wimborne, Home, and Malmesbury, the Hon. A.
Holland Hibbert, Sir Savile Crossley, Mr. F. P. Barnett,
Mr. C. Liddell, Mr. O. L. Mansel, and others equally
enthusiastic.
To the Duke of Buccleuch 's kennel we are probably more
indebted in the last twenty years than to any other. Its
THE RETRIEVERS 147
foundation was laid in two bitches by a dog of the Duke of
Hamilton's from a bitch of Lord Malmesbury's. At Drum-
lanrig, as well as on the Duke's other estates, they have been
most particular in preserving the purity and working qualities
of their strain. And the same may be said of the Hon. A.
Holland Hibbert, whose principal dogs are not only typical
in appearance, but broken to perfection. The Duchess of
Hamilton's kennels have been responsible for some of the best
field trial winners of the present day. As far as looks are
concerned, one cannot say that the Labrador compares
favourably with either the flat or the curly coated Retriever,
but that is immaterial so long as he continues to work as he
is doing at present.
CHAPTER XXV
THE SPORTING SPANIEL
I. THE SPANIEL FAMILY. — The Spaniel family is without
any doubt one of the most important of the many groups which
are included in the canine race, not only on account of its
undoubted antiquity, and, compared with other families, its
well authenticated lineage, but also because of its many
branches and subdivisions, ranging in size from the majestic
and massive Clumbers to the diminutive toys which we are
accustomed to associate with fair ladies' laps and gaily-decked
pens at our big dog shows.
Moreover, the different varieties of Setters undoubtedly
derive their origin from the same parent stock, since we find
them described by the earlier sporting writers as " setting "
or " crouching " Spaniels, in contradistinction to the " find-
ing " or " springing " Spaniel, who flushed the game he
found without setting or pointing it. As time went on, the
setting variety was, no doubt, bred larger and longer in the
leg, with a view to increased pace ; but the Spaniel-like head
and coat still remain to prove the near connection between
the two breeds.
All the different varieties of Spaniels, both sporting and
toy, have, with the exception of the Clumber and the Irish
Water Spaniel (who is not, despite his name, a true Spaniel at
all), a common origin, though at a very early date we find
them divided into two groups — viz., Land and Water Spaniels,
and these two were kept distinct, and bred to develop those
points which were most essential for their different spheres
of work. The earliest mention of Spaniels to be found in
148
THE SPORTING SPANIEL 149
English literature is contained in the celebrated " Master of
Game," the work of Edward Plantagenet, second Duke of
York, and Master of Game to his uncle, Henry IV., to whom
the work is dedicated. It was written between the years
1406 and 1413, and although none of the MSS., of which some
sixteen are in existence, is dated, this date can be fairly
accurately fixed, as the author was appointed Master of Game
in the former and killed at Agincourt in the latter year. His
chapter on Spaniels, however, is mainly a translation from the
equally celebrated " Livre de Chasse," of Gaston Comte de
Foix, generally known as Gaston Phoebus, which was written
in 1387, so that we may safely assume that Spaniels were well
known, and habitually used as aids to the chase both in France
and England, as early as the middle of the fourteenth century.
In the eighteenth and early part of the nineteenth century
the Spaniel was described by many writers on sporting subjects ;
but there is a great similarity in most of these accounts, each
author apparently having been content to repeat in almost
identical language what had been said upon the subject
by his predecessors, without importing any originality or
opinions of his own. Many of these works, notwithstanding
this defect, are very interesting to the student of Spaniel
lore, and the perusal of Elaine's Rural Sports, Taplin's Sport-
ing Dictionary and Rural Repository, Scott's Sportsman's
Repository, and Needham's Complete Sportsman, can be
recommended to all who wish to study the history of the
development of the various modern breeds. The works
of the French writers, De Cominck, De Cherville, Blaze, and
Me'gnin, are well worth reading, while of late years the subject
has been treated very fully by such British writers as the late
J. H. Walsh (" Stonehenge "), Mr. Vero Shaw, Mr. Rawdon
Lee, Colonel Claude Cane, and Mr. C. A. Phillips.
Nearly all of the early writers, both French and English,
are agreed that the breed came originally from Spain, and we
may assume that such early authorities as Gaston Phoebus,
Edward Plantagenet, and Dr. Caius had good reasons for
150 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
telling us that these dogs were called Spaniels because they
came from Spain.
The following distinct breeds or varieties are recognised by
the Kennel Club: (i) Irish Water Spaniels; (2) Water
Spaniels other than Irish ; (3) Clumber Spaniels ; (4) Sussex
Spaniels ; (5) Field Spaniels ; (6) English Springers ; (7)
Welsh Springers ; (8) Cocker Spaniels. Each of these
varieties differs considerably from the others, and each has
its own special advocates and admirers, as well as its own
particular sphere of work for which it is best fitted, though
almost any Spaniel can be made into a general utility dog,
which is, perhaps, one of the main reasons for the popularity
of the breed.
II. THE IRISH WATER SPANIEL. — There is only one breed
of dog known in these days by the name of Irish Water Spaniel,
but if we are to trust the writers of no longer ago than half
a century there were at one time two, if not three, breeds of
Water Spaniels peculiar to the Emerald Isle. These were the
Tweed Water Spaniel, the Northern Water Spaniel, and the
Southern Water Spaniel, the last of these being the progenitors
of our modern strains.
The history of the Irish Water Spaniel is in many ways a
very extraordinary one. According to the claim of Mr.
Justin McCarthy, it originated entirely in his kennels, and
this claim has never been seriously disputed by the subsequent
owners and breeders of these dogs. It seems improbable that
Mr. Justin McCarthy can actually have originated or manu-
factured a breed possessing so many extremely marked
differences and divergences of type as the Irish Water Spaniel ;
but what he probably did was to rescue an old and moribund
breed from impending extinction, and so improve it by
judicious breeding, and cross-breeding as to give it a new
lease of life, and permanently fix its salient points and charac-
teristics. However that may be, little seems to have been
known of the breed before he took it in hand, and it is very
certain that nearly every Irish Water Spaniel seen for the last
THE SPORTING SPANIEL 151
half century owes its descent to his old dog Boatswain, who
was born in 1834 and lived for eighteen years. He must have
been a grand old dog, since Mr. McCarthy gave him to Mr.
Joliffe Tufmell in 1849, when he was fifteen years old ; and his
new owner subsequently bred by him Jack, a dog whose
name appears in many pedigrees.
It was not until 1862 that the breed seems to have attracted
much notice in England, but in that year the Birmingham
Committee gave two classes for them, in which, however,
several of the prizes were withheld for want of merit ; the next
few years saw these dogs making great strides in popularity
and, classes being provided at most of the important shows,
many good specimens were exhibited.
During the last few years, however, the breed seems to have
been progressing the wrong way, and classes at shows have
not been nearly so strong, either in numbers or in quality, as
they used to be. Yet there have been, and are still, quite a
large number of good dogs and bitches to be seen, and it
only needs enthusiasm and co-operation among breeders
to bring back the palmiest days of the Irish Water
Spaniel.
There is no member of the whole canine family which has a
more distinctive personal appearance than the Irish Water
Spaniel. With him it is a case of once seen never forgotten,
and no one who has ever seen one could possibly mistake him
for anything else than what he is. His best friends probably
would not claim beauty, in the aesthetic sense, for him ;
but he is attractive in a quaint way peculiarly his own,
and intelligent-looking. In this particular his looks do not
bewray him ; he is, in fact, one of the most intelligent of all
the dogs used in aid of the gun, and in his own sphere one
of the most useful. That sphere, there is no doubt, is that
indicated by his name, and it is in a country of bogs and
marshes, like the south and west of Ireland, of which he was
originally a native, where snipe and wildfowl provide the
staple sport of the gunner, that he is in his element and
152 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
seen at his best, though, no doubt, he can do excellent work
as an ordinary retriever, and is often used as such.
But Nature (or Mr. McCarthy's art) has specially formed and
endowed him for the amphibious sport indicated above, and
has provided him with an excellent nose, an almost water-
proof coat, the sporting instincts of a true son of Erin, and,
above all, a disposition full of good sense ; he is high-couraged,
and at the same time adaptable to the highest degree of per-
fection in training. His detractors often accuse him of
being hard-mouthed, but this charge is not well founded.
Many a dog which is used to hunt or find game as well as to
retrieve it, will often kill a wounded bird or rabbit rather
than allow it to escape, while there are many Irish Water
Spaniels who, under normal circumstances, are just as tender-
mouthed as the most fashionable of black Retrievers. Be-
sides his virtues in the field, the Irish Water Spaniel has
the reputation — a very well-founded one — of being the best
of pals.
Most people are well acquainted with the personal appear-
ance of this quaint-looking dog. The points regarded as
essential are as follows : —
Colour — The colour should always be a rich dark liver or puce without
any white at all. Any white except the slightest of " shirt fronts "
should disqualify. The nose of course should conform to the coat in
colour, and be dark brown. Head — The head should have a capacious
skull, fairly but not excessively domed, with plenty of brain room.
It should be surmounted with a regular topknot of curly hair, a most
important and distinctive point. This topknot should never be square
cut or like a poodle's wig, but should grow down to a well defined point
between the eyes. Eyes — The eyes should be small, dark, and set
obliquely, like a Chinaman's. Ears — The ears should be long, strong
in leather, low set, heavily ringleted, and from 18 to 24 inches long,
according to size. Muzzle and Jaw — The muzzle and jaw should be
long and strong. There should be a decided " stop," but not so pro-
nounced as to make the brows or forehead prominent. Neck — The neck
should be fairly long and very muscular. Shoulders — The shoulders
should be sloping. Most Irish Water Spaniels have bad, straight
shoulders, a defect which should be bred out. Chest — The chest is
deep, and usually rather narrow, but should not be so narrow as to
constrict the heart and lungs. Back and Loins — The back and loins
strong and arched. Fore-legs — The fore-legs straight and well boned.
Heavily feathered or ringleted all over. Hind-legs — The hind-legs
THE SPORTING SPANIEL 153
with hocks set very low, stifles rather straight, feathered all over,
except inside from the hocks down, which part should be covered with
short hair (a most distinctive point). Feet — The feet large and rather
spreading as is proper for a water dog, well clothed with hair. Stern —
The stern covered with the shortest of hair, except for the first couple
of inches next the buttocks, whiplike or stinglike (a most important
point), and carried low, not like a hound's. Coat — The coat composed
entirely of short crisp curls, not woolly like a Poodle's, and very dense.
If left to itself, this coat mats or cords, but this is not permissible in
show dogs. The hair on the muzzle and forehead below the topknot
is quite short and smooth, as well as that on the stern. General
Appearance — Is not remarkable for symmetry, but is quaint and
intelligent looking. Height — The height should be between 21 and
23 inches.
III. THE ENGLISH WATER SPANIEL.-— In the Kennel Club's
Register of Breeds no place is allotted to this variety, all
Water Spaniels other than Irish being classed together.
Despite this absence of official recognition there is abundant
evidence that a breed of Spaniels legitimately entitled to the
designation of English Water Spaniels has been in existence
for many years, in all probability a descendant of the old
" Water-Dogge," "an animal closely resembling the French
" Barbet," the ancestor of the modern Poodle. They were
even trimmed at times much in the same way as a Poodle is
nowadays, as Markham gives precise directions for " the
cutting or shearing him from the nauill downeward or backe-
ward." The opinion expressed by the writer of The Sports-
man's Cabinet, 1803, is that the breed originated from a cross
between the large water dog and the Springing Spaniel, and
this is probably correct, though Youatt, a notable authority,
thinks that the cross was with an English Setter. Possibly
some strains may have been established in this way, and not
differ very much in make and shape from those obtained from
the cross with the Spaniel, as it is well known that Setters and
Spaniels have a common origin.
In general appearance the dog resembles somewhat closely
the Springer, except that he may be somewhat higher on the
leg, and that his coat should consist of crisp, tight curls,
almost like Astrakhan fur, everywhere except on his face,
154 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
where it should be short. There should be no topknot
like that of the Irish Water Spaniel.
IV. THE CLUMBER SPANIEL is in high favour in the
Spaniel world, both with shooting men and exhibitors, and
the breed well deserves from both points of view the position
which it occupies in the public esteem. No other variety
is better equipped mentally and physically for the work it is
called upon to do in aid of the gun ; and few, certainly none
of the Spaniels, surpass or even equal it in appearance.
As a sporting dog, the Clumber is possessed of the very
best of noses, a natural inclination both to hunt his game and
retrieve it when killed, great keenness and perseverance
wonderful endurance and activity considering his massive
build, and as a rule is very easy to train, being highly in-
telligent and more docile and " biddable." The man who
owns a good dog of this breed, whether he uses it as a re-
triever for driven birds, works it in a team, or uses it as his
sole companion when he goes gunning, possesses a treasure.
The great success of these Spaniels in the Field Trials pro-
moted by both the societies which foster those most useful
institutions is enough to prove this, and more convincing
still is the tenacity with which the fortunate possessors of
old strains, mostly residents in the immediate neighbourhood
of the original home of the breed, have held on to them and
continued to breed and use them year after year for many
generations.
As a show dog, his massive frame, powerful limbs, pure
white coat, with its pale lemon markings and frecklings, and,
above all, his solemn and majestic aspect, mark him out as a
true aristocrat, with all the beauty of refinement which comes
from a long line of cultured ancestors.
All research so far has failed to cany their history
back any further than the last quarter of the eighteenth
century. About that time the Due de Noailles pre-
sented some Spaniels, probably his whole kennel, which
he brought from France, to the second Duke of Newcastle,
THE SPORTING SPANIEL 155
from whose place, Clumber Park, the breed has taken its name.
Beyond this it seems impossible to go : indeed, the Clumber
seems to be generally looked upon as a purely English breed.
From Clumber Park specimens found their way to most of
the other great houses in the neighbourhood, notably to
Althorp Park, Welbeck Abbey, Birdsall House, Thoresby
Hall, and Osberton Hall. It is from the kennels at the last-
named place, owned by Mr. Foljambe, that most of the pro-
genitors of the Clumbers which have earned notoriety derived
their origin. Nearly all the most famous show winners
of early days were descended from Mr. Foljambe 's dogs, and
his Beau may perhaps be considered one of the most im-
portant " pillars of the stud," as he was the sire of Nabob,
a great prize-winner, and considered one of the best of his
day, who belonged at various times during his career to such
famous showmen as Messrs. Phineas Bullock, Mr. Fletcher,
Mr. Rawdon Lee, and Mr. G. Oliver.
There has been a great deal of lamentation lately among
old breeders and exhibitors about the decadence of the breed
and the loss of the true old type possessed by these dogs.
But, despite all they can say to the contrary, the Clumber
is now in a more flourishing state than it ever has been ;
and although perhaps we have not now, nor have had for the
last decade, a John o' Gaunt or a Tower, there have been a
large number of dogs shown during that time who possessed
considerable merit and would probably have held their
own even in the days of these bygone heroes. Some of the
most notable have been Baillie Friar, Beechgrove Donally,
Goring of Auchentorlie, Hempstead Toby, and Preston Shot,
who all earned the coveted title of Champion.
The Field Trials have, no doubt, had a great deal to do with
the largely augmented popularity of the breed and the great
increase in the number of those who own Clumbers. For the
first two or three years after these were truly established no
other breed seemed to have a chance with them ; and even
now, though both English and Welsh Springers have done
156 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
remarkably well, they more than hold their own. The most
distinguished performer by far was Mr. Winton Smith's
Beechgrove Bee, a bitch whose work was practically faultless,
and the first Field Thai Champion among Spaniels. Other
food Cumbers who earned distinction in the field were
Beechgrove Minette. Beechgrove Maud, the Duke of Port-
land's Wdbeck Sambo, and Mr. Phillips' Rivington Ho:.
Rivington Pearl, and Rivington Reel.
The points and general description of the breed as published
by both the Spaniel Club and the Clumber Spaniel Gub 99%
identical. They are as follows: —
H«atf— Large, square and massive, of medium length, broad on
with a decided occiput ; heavy brows with a deep stop ; heavy :
muule, with well developed flew. Eyoi — Dark amber ;
A light or prominent eye objectionable. Ear*— Large, vine leaf i
nnd well covered with straight hair and hanging slightly forward, the
feather not to extend below the leather. Nook— Very thick and
powerful, and well feathered underneath. Body (Including size and
symmetry) — Long and heavy, and near the ground. Weight of dofli
about 55 Ib. to 65 Ib. ; bitches about 45 Ib. to 55 Ib.
and flesh coloured. Shoulders and Chest— \Mde and deep :
strong and muscular. Back and Loti Dick straight, broad and
loin powerful, well let down in flank. Hind quartan Very
and well developed. Stern — Set low, well feathered, and carried about
level with the back. Ftet and Legs — Feet large and round, well covered
with hair: legs short, thick and strong; hocks low. Goal — Loag.
abundant, soft and straight. Colour— Plain white with lemon raarkinft ;
orange permissible but not desirable ; slight head markings with white
body preferred. Central Appearance — Should be that of a long, low,
heavy, very massive dog, with a thoughtful expression.
V. THE SUSSEX SPANIEL,— -This is one of the oldest of the
distinct breeds of Land Spaniels now existing in the British
Islands, and probably also the purest in point of descent,
since it has for many years past been eonnned to a compara-
tively small number of kennels, the owners of which have
always been at considerable pains to keep their strains free
from any admixture of foreign blood.
The modern race of Sussex Spaniels, as we know it, owes its
origin in the main to the kennel kept by Mr. Fuller at Rosehill
Park, Brightling, near Hastings. This gentleman, who
died in 1847, is said to have kept his strain for fifty years or
THE SPORTING SPANIEL 157
more, and to have shot over them almost daily during the
season, but at his death they were dispersed by auction, and
none of them can be traced with any accuracy except a dog
and a bitch which were given at the time to Relf, the head
keeper. Relf survived his master for forty years, and kept
up his interest in the breed to the last. He used to say that
the golden tinge peculiar to the Rosehill breed came from a
bitch which had been mated with a dog belonging to Dr.
Watts, of Battle, and that every now and then what he
termed a <4 sandy " pup would turn up in her litters. Owing
to an outbreak of dumb madness in the Rosehill kennels, a
very large number of its occupants either died or had to be
destroyed, and this no doubt accounted for the extreme
scarcity of the breed when several enthusiasts began to revive
it about the year 1870. Mr. Saxby and Mr. Marchant are
said to have had the same strain as that at Rosehill, and
certainly one of the most famous sires who is to be found
in most Sussex pedigrees was Buckingham, by Marchant 's
Rover out of Saxby's Fan.
It was from the union of Buckingham, who was
claimed to be pure Rosehill — with Bebb's daughter
Peggie that the great Bachelor resulted — a dog whose name is
to be found in almost every latter-day pedigree, though Mr.
Campbell Newington's strain, to which has descended the
historic prefix " Rosehill," contains less of this blood than any
other.
About 1879 Mr. T. Jacobs, of Newton Abbot, took up this
breed with great success, owning, amongst other good speci-
mens, Russett, Dolly, Brunette, and Bachelor III., the latter
a dog whose services at the stud cannot be estimated too
highly. When this kennel was broken up in 1891. the best
of the Sussex Spaniels were acquired by Mr. Woolland, and
from that date this gentleman's kennel carried all before it
until it in turn was broken up and dispersed in 1905. So
successful was Mr. Woolland that one may almost say that he
beat all other competitors off the field, though one of them.
158 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
Mr. Campbell Newington, stuck most gallantly to him all
through.
Mr. Campbell Newington has been breeding Sussex Spaniels
lor over a quarter of a century with an enthusiasm
and tenacity worthy of the warmest admiration, and his
strain is probably the purest, and more full of the original
blood than any other. His kennel has always maintained a
very high standard of excellence, and many famous show
specimens have come from it, notably Rosehill Ruler II. (a
splendid Sussex, scarcely inferior to Bridford Giddie), Romu-
lus, Roein, Rita, Rush, Rock, Rag, and Ranji, and many
others of almost equal merit.
Colonel Claude Cane's kennel of Sussex, started from a
41 Woolland-bred " foundation, has been going for some
seventeen years, the best he has shown being Jonathan
Swift, Celbridge Eldorado, and Celbridge Chrysolite.
The breed has always had a good character for work, and
most of the older writers who mention them speak of Sussex
Spaniels in very eulogistic terms. They are rather slow
workers, but thoroughly conscientious and painstaking,
and are not afraid of any amount of thick covert, through
which they will force their way, and seldom leave anything
behind them.
A well-bred Sussex Spaniel is a very handsome dog. Indeed,
his beautiful colour alone is enough to make his appearance an
attractive one, even if he were unsymmetrical and ungainly in
his proportions
This colour, known as golden liver, is peculiar to the breed,
and is the great touchstone and hall-mark of purity of blood.
No other dog has exactly the same shade of coat, which the
word " liver " hardly describes exactly, as it is totally dif-
ferent from the ordinary liver colour of an Irishman, a Pointer,
or even a liver Field Spaniel. It is rather a golden chestnut
with a regular metallic sheen as of burnished metal, showing
more especially on the head and face and everywhere where
the hair is short. This is very apparent when a dog gets
THE SPORTING SPANIEL 159
his new coat. In time, of course, it is liable to get somewhat
bleached by sun and weather, when it turns almost yellow.
Every expert knows this colour well, and looks for it at once
when judging a class of Sussex.
The description of the breed given by the Spaniel Club is
as follows : —
Head — The skull should be moderately long, and also wide, with an
indentation in the middle, and a full stop, brows fairly heavy ; occiput
full, but not pointed, the whole giving an appearance of heaviness
without dulness. Eyes — Hazel colour, fairly large, soft and languishing,
not showing the haw overmuch. Nose — The muzzle should be about
three inches long, square, and the lips somewhat pendulous. The
nostrils well developed and liver colour. Ears — Thick, fairly large,
and lobe shaped ; set moderately low, but relatively not so low as in the
Black Field Spaniel ; carried close to the head, and furnished with
soft wavy hair. Neck — Is rather short, strong, and slightly arched,
but not carrying the head much above the level of the back. There
should not be much throatiness in the skin, but well marked frill in the
coat. Chest and Shoulders — The chest is round, especially behind the
shoulders, deep and wide, giving a good girth. The shoulders should
be oblique. Back and Back Ribs — The back and loin are long, and
should be very muscular, both in width and depth ; for this develop-
ment the back ribs must be deep. The whole body is characterised as
.low, long, level, and strong. Legs and Feet — The arms and thighs must
be bony, as well as muscular, knees and hocks large and strong, pasterns
very short and bony, feet large and round, and with short hair between
the toes. The legs should be very short and strong, with great bone,
and may show a slight bend in the forearm, and be moderately well
feathered. The hind-legs should not be apparently shorter than the
fore-legs, or be too much bent at the hocks, so as to give a Settery
appearance which is so objectionable. The hind-legs should be well
feathered above the hocks, but should not have much hair below that
point. The hocks should be short and wide apart. Tail — Should be
docked from five to seven inches, set low, and not carried above the
level of the back, thickly clothed with moderately long feather. Coat —
Body coat abundant, flat or slightly waved, with no tendency to curl,
moderately well feathered on legs and stern, but clean below the hocks.
Colour — Rich golden liver ; this is a certain sign of the purity of the
breed, dark liver or puce denoting unmistakably a recent cross with the
black or other variety of Field Spaniel. General Appearance — Rather
massive and muscular, but with free movements and nice tail action
denoting a tractable and cheerful disposition. Weight from 35 Ib. to
45 Ib.
VI. THE FIELD SPANIEL.— The modern Field Spaniel may
be divided into two classes. Indeed, we may almost say at
this stage of canine history, two breeds, as for several years
160 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
past there has not been very much intermingling of blood
between the Blacks and those known by the awkward designa-
tion of " Any Other Variety," though, of course, all came
originally from the same parent stock.
The black members of the family have always been given
the pride of place, and accounted of most importance, though
latterly their parti-coloured brethren seem to have rather
overtaken them.
Among the really old writers there is one mention, and one
only, of Spaniels of a black colour. Arcussia speaks of them,
and of their being used in connection with the sport of hawk-
ing, but from his time up to the middle of the nineteenth
century, though many colours are spoken of as being appro-
priate to the various breeds of Spaniels, no author mentions
black.
The first strain of blacks of which we know much belonged
to Mr. F. Burdett, and was obtained from a Mr. Footman,
of Lutterworth, Leicestershire, who was supposed to have
owned them for some time. Mr. Burdett 's Bob and Frank
may be found at the head of very many of the best pedigrees.
At his death most of his Spaniels became the property of
Mr. Jones, of Oscott, and Mr. Phineas Bullock, of Bilston, the
latter of whom was most extraordinarily successful, and
owned a kennel of Field Spaniels which was practically un-
beatable between the dates of the first Birmingham Show
in 1861 and the publication of the first volume of the Kennel
Club's Stud Book in 1874, many, if not most, of the dogs which
won for other owners having been bred by him. His Nellie
and Bob, who won the chief prizes year after year at all the
leading shows, were probably the two best specimens of their
day. Another most successful breeder was Mr. W. W.
Boulton, of Beverley, whose kennel produced many celebrated
dogs, including Beverlac, said to be the largest Field Spaniel
ever exhibited, and Rolf, whose union with Belle produced
four bitches who were destined, when mated with Nigger, a
dog of Mr. Bullock's breeding, to form the foundation of the
THE SPORTING SPANIEL 161
equally if not more famous kennel belonging to Mr. T. Jacobs,
of Newton Abbot.
It was Mr. Jacobs who, by judiciously mating his Sussex
sires Bachelor, Bachelor III., and others with these black-bred
bitches, established the strain which in his hands and in those
of his successors, Captain S. M. Thomas and Mr. Moses Wool-
land, carried all before it for many years, and is still easily at
the top of the tree, being the most sought for and highly prized
of all on account of its " quality."
If Black Spaniels are not quite so popular at present as
they were some years ago, the fault lies with those breeders,
exhibitors, and judges (the latter being most to blame) who
encouraged the absurd craze for excessive length of body and
shortness of leg which not very long ago threatened to trans-
form the whole breed into a race of cripples, and to bring it
into contempt and derision among all practical men. No
breed or variety of dog has suffered more from the injudicious
fads and crazes of those showmen who are not sportsmen
also. At one time among a certain class of judges, length
and lowness was everything, and soundness, activity,
and symmetry simply did not count. As happens to
all absurd crazes of this kind when carried to exaggera-
tion, public opinion has proved too much for it, but not
before a great deal of harm has been done to a breed which
is certainly ornamental, and can be most useful as well.
Most of the prize-winners of the present day are sound, useful
dogs capable of work, and it is to be hoped that judges will
combine to keep them so.
The coloured Field Spaniel has now almost invariably at the
principal shows special classes allotted to him, and does not
have to compete against his black brother, as used to be the
case in former years.
The systematic attempt to breed Spaniels of various colours,
with a groundwork of white, does not date back much more
than a quarter of a century, and the greater part of the credit
for producing this variety may be given to three gentlemen,
162 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
Mr. F. E. Schofield, Dr. J. H. Spurgin, and Mr. J. W. Robinson.
In the early days of breeding blacks, when the bitches were
mated either with Sussex or liver and white Springers or
Norfolk Spaniels, many parti-coloured puppies necessarily
occurred, which most breeders destroyed ; but it occurred to
some of these gentlemen that a handsome and distinct variety
might be obtained by careful selection, and they have certainly
succeeded to a very great extent. The most famous names
among the early sires are Dr. Spurgin 's Alonzo and his son
Fop, and Mr. Robinson's Alva Dash, from one or other of
whom nearly all the modern celebrities derive their descent.
Those who have been, and are, interested in promoting
and breeding these variety Spaniels deserve a large amount
of credit for their perseverance, which has been attended
with the greatest success so far as producing colour goes.
No doubt there is a very great fascination in breeding for
colour, and in doing so there is no royal road to success, which
can only be attained by the exercise of the greatest skill and
the nicest discrimination in the selection of breeding stock.
At the same time colour is not everything, and type and
working qualities should never be sacrificed to it. This has
too often been done in the case of coloured Field Spaniels.
There are plenty of beautiful blue roans, re*d roans, and
tricolours, whether blue roan and tan or liver roan and tan,
but nearly all of them are either cocktailed, weak in hind-
quarters, crooked-fronted, or houndy-headed, and showing far
too much haw. In fact, in head and front the greater number
of the tricolours remind one of the Basset-hound almost as
much as they do in colour. It is to be hoped that colour-
breeders will endeavour to get back the true Spaniel type
before it is too late.
The points of both black and coloured Field Spaniels are
identical, bar colour, and here it must be said that black and
tan, liver and tan, and liver are not considered true variety
colours, though of course they have to compete in those classes,
but rather sports from black. The colours aimed at by
THE SPORTING SPANIEL 163
variety breeders have all a ground colour of white, and are
black and white, blue roan, liver and white, red roan, liver
white and tan, and tricolours or quadri-colours — i.e., blue or
red roan and tan, or both combined, with tan. The Spaniel
Club furnishes the following description of the Black Field
Spaniel : —
Head — Should be quite characteristic of this grand sporting dog*
as that of the Bloodhound or the Bulldog ; its very stamp and coun-
tenance should at once convey the conviction of high breeding, character
and nobility ; skull well developed, with a distinctly elevated occipital
tuberosity, which, above all, gives the character alluded to ; not too
wide across muzzle, long and lean, never snipy nor squarely cut, and in
profile curving gradually from nose to throat ; lean beneath eyes, a
thickness here gives coarseness to the whole head. The great length
of muzzle gives surface for the free development of the olfactory nerve,
and thus secures the highest possible scenting powers. Eyes — Not too
full, but not small, receding or overhung ; colour dark hazel or dark
brown, or nearly black ; grave in expression, and bespeaking unusual
docility and instinct. Ears — Set low down as possible, which greatly
adds to the refinement and beauty of the head, moderately long and
wide, and sufficiently clad with nice Setter-like feather. Neck — Very
strong and muscular, so as to enable the dog to retrieve his game without
undue fatigue ; not too short, however. Body (including size and
symmetry) — Long and very low, well ribbed up to a good strong loin,
straight or slightly arched, never slack ; weight from about 35 Ibs.
to 45 Ibs. Nose — Well developed, with good open nostrils, and
always black. Shoulders and Chest — Former sloping and free, latter
deep and well developed, but not too round and wide. Back and Loin
— Very strong and muscular ; level and long in proportion to the height
of the dog. Hind-quarters — Very powerful and muscular, wide, and
fully developed. Stern — Well set on, and carried low, if possible below
the level of the back, in a perfectly straight line, or with a slight down-
ward inclination, never elevated above the back, and in action always
kept low, nicely fringed, with wavy feather of silky texture. Feet
and Legs — Feet not too small, and well protected between the toes with
soft feather ; good strong pads. Legs straight and immensely boned,
strong and short, and nicely feathered with straight or waved Setter-like
feather, overmuch feathering below the hocks objectionable. Coat —
Flat or slightly waved, and never curled. Sufficiently dense to resist
the weather, and not too short. Silky in texture, glossy, and refined in
nature, with neither duffelness on the one hand nor curl or wiriness on
the other. On chest under belly, and behind the legs, there should be
abundant feather, but never too much, and that of the right sort, viz.,
Setter-like. The tail and hind-quarters should be similarly adorned.
Colour — Jet black throughout, glossy and true. A little white on chest*
though a drawback, not a disqualification. General Appearance —
That of a sporting dog, capable of learning and doing anything possible
for his inches and conformation. A grand combination of beauty and
utility.
164 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
VII. THE ENGLISH SPRINGER. — It is only quite recently
that the Kennel Club has officially recognised the variety known
by the name at the head of this section. For a long time the
old-fashioned liver and white, or black Spaniels, longer
in the leg than either Sussex or Field Spaniels, had been
known as Norfolk Spaniels, and under this title the Spaniel
Club has published a description of them. There had, how-
ever, been a considerable amount of discussion about the
propriety of this name of " Norfolk," and the weight of the
evidence adduced went to show that as far as any territorial
connection with the county of that name went, it was a mis-
nomer, and that it probably arose from the breed having been
kept by one of the Dukes of Norfolk, most likely that one
quoted by Elaine in his Rural Sports, who was so jealous of
his strain that it was only on the expressly stipulated condition
that they were not to be allowed to breed in the direct line
that he would allow one to leave his kennels.
But, when this old breed was taken up by the Sporting
Spaniel Society, they decided to drop the name of " Norfolk,"
and to revert to the old title of "Springer," not, per-
haps, a very happy choice, as all Spaniels are, properly
speaking, Springers in contradistinction to Setters. The com-
plete official designation on the Kennel Club's register is
" English Springers other than Clumbers, Sussex, and Field,"
a very clumsy name for a breed. There is no doubt that this
variety of Spaniel retains more resemblance to the old strains
which belonged to our forefathers, before the long and low
idea found favour in the eyes of exhibitors, and it was certainly
well worth preserving. The only way nowadays by which
uniformity of type can be obtained is by somebody having
authority drawing up a standard and scale of points for
breeders to go by, and the Sporting Spaniel Society are to be
commended for having done this for the breed under notice,
the fruit of their action being already apparent in the larger
and more uniform classes to be seen at shows.
As the officially recognised life of the breed has been such a
THE SPORTING SPANIEL 165
short one, there are naturally not very many names of note
among the prize-winners. The principal breeders and owners
have so far been Mr. W. Arkwright, Mr Harry Jones, Sir
Hugo FitzHerbert, Mr. C. C. Bethune Eversfield, and Mr.
Winton Smith.
They are undoubtedly the right dogs for those who want
Spaniels to travel faster and cover more ground than the more
ponderous and short-legged Clumbers, Sussex, or Field
Spaniels do, but their work is hardly equal in finish and
precision to that of either of the two former breeds.
The following revised description of the English Springer
has been issued by the Sporting Spaniel Society : —
Skull — Long and slightly arched on top, fairly broad, with a stop,
and well-developed temples. Jaws — Long and broad, not snipy, with
plenty of thin lip. Eyes — Medium size, not too full, but bright and
intelligent, of a rich brown. Ears — Of fair length, low set, and lobular
in shape. Neck — Long, strong, and slightly arched. Shoulders —
Long and sloping. Fore-legs — Of a moderate length, straight, with
flat strong bone. Body — Strong, with well-sprung ribs, good girth, and
chest deep and fairly broad. Loin — Rather long, strong, and slightly
arched. Hind-quarters and Hind-legs — Very muscular, hocks well let
down, stifles moderately bent, and not twisted inwards or outwards.
Feet — Strong and compact. Stern — Low carried, not above the level
of the back, and with a vibratory motion. Coat — Thick and smooth
or very slightly wavy, it must not be too long. The feathering must
be only moderate on the ears, and scanty on the legs, but continued
down to the heels. Colour — Liver and white and black and white
(with or without tan), fawn and white, yellow and white, also roans
and self colours of all these tints. The pied colours are preferable,
however, as more easily seen in cover. General Appearance — An
active compact dog, upstanding, but by no means stilty. His height
at shoulder should about equal his length from the top of the withers
to the root of the tail.
VIII. THE WELSH SPRINGER.— Like the English Springer,
the Welsh Springer has only very recently come into existence
— officially, that is to say ; but his admirers claim for him
that he has existed as a separate breed for a long time, though
not beyond the bounds of the Principality, where he is referred
to as the Starter.
When his claims were first put forward they were vigorously
contested by many who could claim to speak and write with
166 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
authority upon the various breeds of Spaniels existing in these
islands, and it was freely asserted that they were nothing but
crossbreds between the ordinary Springer and probably a
Clumber in order to account for the red or orange markings
and the vine-leaf-shaped ears. Even if they are a new breed,
they are a most meritorious one, both in their appearance,
which is eminently sporting and workmanlike, and for the
excellence of their work in the field, which has been amply
demonstrated by the record earned at the field trials by Mr.
A. T. Williams and others, but those who have seen them at
work have nothing but good to say of them, and for working
large rough tracts of country in teams their admirers say they
are unequalled.
In appearance they are decidedly attractive, rather more
lightly built than most Spaniels, small in size, indeed very
little larger than Cockers, invariably white in colour, with
red or orange markings, and possessing rather fine heads with
small Clumber-shaped ears. Their general appearance is
that of extremely smart and active little dogs.
The Welsh Springer is described by the Sporting Spaniel
Society as follows : —
Skull — Fairly long and fairly broad, slightly rounded with a stop at
the eyes. Jaws — Medium length, straight, fairly square, the nostrils
well developed, and flesh coloured or dark. A short, chubby head is
objectionable. Eyes — Hazel or dark, medium size, not prominent, not
sunken, nor showing haw. Ears — Comparatively small and gradually
narrowing towards the tip, covered with feather not longer than the
ear, set moderately low and hanging close to the cheeks. Neck — Strong,
muscular, clean in throat. Shoulders — Long and sloping. Fore-legs
— Medium length, straight, good bone, moderately feathered. Body —
Strong, fairly deep, not long, well-sprung ribs. Length of body should
be proportionate to length of leg. Loin — Muscular and strong, slightly
arched, well coupled up and knit together. Hind-quarters and Hind-legs
— Strong ; hocks well let down ; stifles moderately bent (not twisted
in or out), not feathered below the hock on the leg. Feet — Round, with
thick pads. Stern — Low, never carried above the level of the back,
feathered, and with a lively motion. Coat — Straight or flat, and thick.
Colour — Red or orange and white. General Appearance — Symmetrical,
compact, strong, merry, active, not stilty, built for endurance and
activity, and about 28 Ib. and upwards in weight, but not exceeding
45 Ib.
I
THE SPORTING SPANIEL 167
IX. THE COCKER SPANIEL. — For the last few years the popu-
larity of this smaller sized branch of the Spaniel tribe has
been steadily increasing, and the Cocker classes at most of
the best shows are now remarkable both for the number of
entries and the very high standard of excellence to which
they attain.
A short time ago black Cockers were decidedly more fashion-
able than their parti-coloured relatives, but now the reverse is
the case, and the various roans and tricolours have overtaken
and passed the others, both in general quality and in the public
esteem. The reason for this popularity of the breed as a
whole is not far to seek. The affectionate and merry disposi-
tion of the Cocker and his small size compared with that of the
other breeds pre-eminently fit him for a companion in the house
as well as in the field, and he ranks among his admirers quite
as many of the fairer sex as he does men — a fact which is
not without a certain element of danger, since it should never
be lost sight of that the breed is a sporting one, which should
on no account be allowed to degenerate into a race of mere
house companions or toys.
Small-sized Spaniels, usually called Cockers, from their
being more especially used in woodcock shooting, have been
indigenous to Wales and Devonshire for many years, and it is
most likely from one or both of these sources that the modern
type has been evolved. It is probable too that the type in
favour to-day, of a short coupled, rather " cobby" dog,
fairly high on the leg, is more like that of these old-fashioned
Cockers than that which obtained a decade or two ago,
when they were scarcely recognised as a separate breed, and
the Spaniel classes were usually divided into " Field Spaniels
over 25 Ib." and " Field Spaniels under 25 Ib." In those days a
large proportion of the prizes fell to miniature Field Spaniels.
The breed was not given official recognition on the Kennel
Club's register till 1893, nor a section to itself in the Stud
Book ; and up to that date the only real qualification a dog
required to be enabled to compete as a Cocker was that he
168 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
should be under the weight of 25 lb., a limit arbitrarily and
somewhat irrationally hxed, since in the case of an animal
just on the border-line he might very well have been a Cocker
before and a Field Spaniel after breakfast.
It is not easy to find authentic pedigrees going back further
than a quarter of a century, but Mr. C. A. Phillips can trace his
own strain back to 1860, and Mr. James Farrow was exhibiting
successfully thirty-five years ago. The former gentleman
published the pedigree of his bitch Rivington Dora for eighteen
generations in extenso in The Sporting Spaniel; while the
famous Obo strain of the latter may be said to have exercised
more influence than any other on the black variety both in
this country and in the United States.
It was in 1880 that the most famous of all the " pillars "
of the Cocker stud, Mr. James Farrow's Obo, made his first
bow to the public, he and his litter sister Sally having been
born the year before. He won the highest honours that the
show bench can give, and the importance of his service to the
breed both in his owner's kennel and outside it, can scarcely
be over-estimated. Nearly all of the best blacks, and many of
the best coloured Cockers, are descended from him. At this
period the type mostly favoured was that of a dog rather
longer in the body and lower on the leg than it is at present,
but the Obo family marked a progressive step, and very
rightly kept on winning under all the best judges for many
years, their owner being far too good a judge himself ever to
exhibit anything but first-class specimens.
Meanwhile, although the blacks were far the most fashion-
able— and it was said that it was hopeless to try to get the
same quality in coloured specimens — several enthusiastic
breeders for colour were quietly at work, quite undismayed
by the predilection shown by most exhibitors and judges
for the former colour. Among them was Mr. C. A. Phillips,
whose two bitches from Mr. James Freme, of Wepre
Hall, Flintshire, succeeded in breeding from one of them,
whom he named Rivington Sloe, the celebrated dog Rivington
THE SPORTING SPANIEL 169
Signal, who, mated with Rivington Blossom, produced
Rivington Bloom, who was in turn the dam of Rivington
Redcoat. These dogs proved almost, if not quite, as valuable
to the coloured variety as Obo did to the blacks, and formed
the foundation of Mr. J. M. Porter's celebrated Braeside
strain which afterwards became so famous.
During the last few years Mr. R. de Courcy Peele's kennel
has easily held the pride of place in this variety. Most readers
are no doubt familiar with the many beautiful Cockers which
have appeared in the show ring and carried off so many prizes
under the distinguishing affix Bowdler. His kennel was built
up on a Braeside foundation, and has contained at one time
or other such flyers as Ben Bowdler, Bob Bowdler, Rufus
Bowdler, Dixon Bowdler, Eva Bowdler, Mary Bowdler, Blue-
coat Bowdler, Susan Bowdler, and others, and Ben and Bob
have also been, as sires, responsible for the success of a good
many dogs hailing from other kennels. He has also been
fairly successful with blacks, which, however, have usually
been purchased and not bred by him, the two best being Master
Reuben, bred by Miss Joan Godfrey, and Jetsam Bowdler, a
bitch who has distinguished herself both in the ring and in the
field.
Coloured Cockers are certainly " booming " just now, and
as a consequence the blacks, who are equally worthy of sup-
port, are being rather neglected. Certainly it is the case that
whereas one sees at most shows big classes of the former filled
with a good level lot with hardly a bad specimen amongst
them, the classes devoted to the latter, besides not being so
well filled, are much more uneven, and always contain a large
proportion of weeds and toys. A few years ago the black
classes were immeasurably superior to the coloured, and it is
to be hoped that in the near future they will regain at least
a position of equality with them.
At the last few Field Trial meetings the Spaniel Club has
provided classes confined to Cockers, which have filled fairly
well, and enabled the small breed to demonstrate that it can
170 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
in its way be quite as useful as its larger cousins. A Cocker
can very often go and work as well where a larger Spaniel
cannot even creep, and for working really thick hedgerows or
gorse has no superior. There seems to be every prospect of a
brilliant future, and increased popularity for this charming
breed.
Its interests are looked after both by the Spaniel Club and
the comparatively newly formed Cocker Spaniel Club, and it
is also quite as much in favour on the other side of the Atlantic
as it is in the United Kingdom. Indeed, the classes in America
and Canada compare very favourbly with our own.
The descriptive particulars of the breed are : —
Head — Not so heavy in proportion and not so high in occiput as in
the modern Field Spaniel, with a nicely developed muzzle or jaw ;
lean, but not snipy, and yet not so square as in the Clumber or Sussex
varieties, but always exhibiting a sufficiently wide and well-developed
nose. Forehead perfectly smooth, rising without a too decided stop
from muzzle into a comparatively wide and rounded, well-developed
skull, with plenty of room for brain power. Eyes — Full, but not promi-
nent, hazel or brown coloured, with a general expression of intelligence
and gentleness, though decidedly wideawake, bright and merry, never
goggled nor weak as in the King Charles and Blenheim kinds. Ears —
Lobular, set on low, leather fine and not exceeding beyond the nose,
well clothed with long silky hair, which must be straight or wavy —
no positive curls or ringlets. Neck — Strong and muscular, and neatly
set on to fine sloping shoulders. Body (including size and symmetry)-—
Not quite so long and low as in the other breeds of Spaniels, more com-
pact and firmly knit together, giving the impression of a concentration
of power and untiring activity. Weight — The weight of a Cocker
Spaniel of either sex should not exceed 25 lb., or be less than 20 Ib.
Any variation either way should be penalised. Nose — Sufficiently
wide and well developed to ensure the exquisite scenting powers of this
breed. Shoulders and Chest — The former sloping and fine, chest deep
and well developed, but not too wide and round to interfere with the
free action of the fore-legs. Back and Loin — Immensely strong and
compact in proportion to the size and weight of the dog ; slightly
sloping towards the tail. Hind-quarters — Wide, well rounded, and
very muscular, so as to ensure untiring action and propelling power
under the most trying circumstances of a long day, bad weather, rough
ground, and dense covert. Stern — That most characteristic of blue
blood in all the Spaniel family may, in the lighter and more active
Cocker, although set low down, be allowed a slightly higher carriage
than in the other breeds, but never cocked up over, but rather in a line
with the back, though the lower its carriage and action the better,
and when at work its action should be incessant in this, the brightest
THE SPORTING SPANIEL 17*
and merriest of the whole Spaniel family. Feet and Legs — The legs
should be well boned, feathered and straight, for the tremendous exer-
tions expected from this grand little sporting dog, and should be
sufficiently short for concentrated power, but not too short as to inter-
fere with its full activity. Feet firm, round, and cat-like, not too large,
spreading, and loose jointed. This distinct breed of Spaniel does not
follow exactly on the lines of the larger Field Spaniel, either in lengthi-
ness, lowness, or otherwise, but is shorter in the back, and rather higher
on the legs. Coat — Flat or waved, and silky in texture, never wiry,
woolly, or curly, with sufficient feather of the right sort, viz., waved
or Setter-like, but not too profuse and never curly. General Appear*
ance — Confirmatory of all indicated above, viz., a concentration of pure
blood and^type, sagacity, docility, good temper, affection, and activity.
CHAPTER XXVI
THE BASSET-HOUND
THE Basset was not familiarly known to British sportsmen
before 1863, in which year specimens of the breed were seen
at the first exhibition of dogs held in Paris, and caused general
curiosity and admiration among English visitors. In France,
however, this hound has been used for generations, much as
we use our Spaniel, as a finder of game in covert, and it has
long been a popular sporting dog in Russia and Germany. In
early times it was chiefly to be found in Artois and Flanders,
where it is supposed to have had its origin*; but the home of
the better type of Basset is now chiefly in La Vended, in which
department some remarkably fine strains have been produced.
There are three main strains of the French Basset — the
Lane, the Couteulx, and the Griffon. The Griffon Basset is a
hound with a hard bristly coat, and short, crooked legs. It
has never found great favour here. The Lane hounds are
derived from the kennels of M. Lane, of Franqueville, Baos,
Seine-InfeYieure, and are also very little appreciated in this
country. They are a lemon and white variety, with torse or
bent legs. The Couteulx hounds were a type bred up into a
strain by Comte le Couteulx de Canteleu. They were tri-
colour, with straight, short legs, of sounder constitution than
other strains, with the make generally of a more agile hound,
and in the pedigree of the best Bassets owned in this country
fifteen years ago, when the breed was in considerable demand,
Comte de Couteulx 's strain was prominent and always sought
for.
With careful selection and judicious breeding we have now
172
THE BASSET-HOUND 173
produced a beautiful hound of fine smooth coat, and a rich
admixture of markings, with a head of noble character and the
best of legs and feet. Their short, twinkling legs make our
Bassets more suitable for covert hunting than for hunting
hares in the open, to which latter purpose they have frequently
been adapted with some success. Their note is resonant, with
wonderful power for so small a dog, and in tone it resembles the
voice of the Bloodhound.
The Basset-hound is usually very good tempered and not
inclined to be quarrelsome with his kennel mates ; but he is
wilful, and loves to roam apart in search of game, and is not very
amenable to discipline when alone. On the other hand, he
works admirably with his companions in the pack, when he is
most painstaking and indefatigable. Endowed with remark-
able powers of scent, he will hunt a drag with keen intelligence.
There are now several packs of Bassets kept in England, and
they show very fair sport after the hares ; but it is not their
natural vocation, and their massive build is against the possi-
bility of their becoming popular as harriers. The general
custom is to follow them on foot, although occasionally some
sportsmen use ponies. Their pace, however, hardly warrants
the latter expedient. On the Continent, where big game is
more common than with us, the employment of the Basset is
varied. He is a valuable help in the tracking of boar, wolf, and
deer, and he is also frequently engaged in the lighter pastimes
of pheasant and partridge shooting.
The Earl of Onslow and the late Sir John Everett Millais
were among the earliest importers of the breed into England.
They both had recourse to the kennels of Count Couteulx.
Sir John Millais' Model was the first Basset-hound exhibited
at an English dog show, at Wolverhampton in 1875. Later
owners and breeders of prominence were Mr. G. Krehl, Mrs.
Stokes, Mrs. C. C. Ellis and Mrs. Mabel Tottie.
As with most imported breeds, the Basset-hound when first
exhibited was required to undergo a probationary period as a
foreign dog in the variety class at the principal shows. It was
174 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
not until 1880 that a class was provided for it by the Kennel
Club.
It is to be regretted that owners of this beautiful hound are
not more numerous. Admirable specimens are still to be seen
at the leading exhibitions, but the breed is greatly in need of
encouragement. At the present time the smooth dog hound
taking the foremost place in the estimate of our most capable
judges is Mr. W. W. M. White's Ch. Loo-Loo-Loo, bred by Mrs.
Tottie, by Ch. Louis Le Beau out of Sibella. Mr. Croxton
Smith's Waverer is also a dog of remarkably fine type. Among
bitch hounds Sandringham Dido, the favourite of Her Majesty
the Queen, ranks as the most perfect of her kind.
The rough or Griffon-Basset, introduced into England at
a later date than the smooth, has failed for some reason
to receive great attention. In type it resembles the shaggy
Otterhound, and as at present favoured it is larger and higher
on the leg than the smooth variety. Their colouring is less
distinct, and they seem generally to be lemon and white,
grey and sandy red. Their note is not so rich as that of the
smooth variety. In France the rough and the smooth Bassets
are not regarded as of the same race, but here some breeders
have crossed the two varieties, with indifferent consequences.
Some beatuiful specimens of the rough Basset have from
time to time been sent to exhibition from the Sandringham
kennels. His Majesty the King has always given affectionate
attention to this breed, and has taken several first prizes at
the leading shows, latterly with Sandringham Bobs, bred in
the home kennels by Sandringham Babil ex Saracenesca.
Perhaps the most explicit description of the perfect Basset-
hound is still that compiled twenty-five years ago by Sir John
Millais. It is at least sufficiently comprehensive and exact to
serve as a guide : —
" The Basset, for its size, has more bone, perhaps, than nearly any
other dog.
" The skull should be peaked like that of the Bloodhound, with the
same dignity and expression, the nose black (although some of my own
have white about theirs), and well flewed. For the size of the hound
THE BASSET-HOUND 175
I think the teeth are extremely small. However, as they are not
intended to destroy life, this is probably the reason.
" The ears should hang like the Bloodhound's, and are like the softest
velvet drapery.
" The eyes are a deep brown, and are brimful of affection and intelli-
gence. They are pretty deeply set, and should show a considerable
haw. A Basset is one of those hounds incapable of having a wicked
eye.
" The neck is long, but of great power ; and in the Basset d jambes
torses the flews extend very nearly down to the chest. The chest is
more expansive than even in the Bulldog, and should in the Bassets d
jambes torses be not more than two inches from the ground. In the
case of the Bassets a jambes demi-torses and jambes droites, being
generally lighter, their chests do not, of course, come so low.
" The shoulders are of great power, and terminate in the crooked
feet of the Basset, which appear to be a mass of joints. The back and
ribs are strong, and the former of great length.
" The stern is carried gaily, like that of hounds in general, and when
the hound is on the scent of game this portion of his body gets
extremely animated, and tells me, in my own hounds, when they have
struck a fresh or a cold scent, and I even know when the foremost
hound will give tongue.
" The hind-quarters are very strong and muscular, the muscles
standing rigidly out down to the hocks.
" The skin is soft in the smooth haired dogs, and like that of any other
hound, but in the rough variety it is like that of the Otterhound's.
" Colour, of course, is a matter of fancy, although I infinitely prefer
the tricolour, which has a tan head and a black and white body."
CHAPTER XXVII
THE DACHSHUND
PERSONS unfamiliar with the sporting properties of this long-
bodied breed are apt to refer smilingly to the Dachshund as
" the dog that is sold by the yard," and few even of those who
know him give credit to the debonair little fellow for the grim
work which he is intended to perform in doing battle with the
vicious badger in its lair. Dachshund means " badger dog,"
and it is a title fairly and squarely earned in his native
Germany.
Given proper training, he will perform the duties of several
sporting breeds rolled into one. Possessing a wonderful nose,
combined with remarkable steadiness, his kind will work
out the coldest scent, and once fairly on the line they will give
plenty of music and get over the ground at a pace almost
incredible. Dachshunds hunt well in a pack, and, though it is
not their recognised vocation, they can be successfully used on
hare, on fox, and any form of vermin that wears a furry coat.
But his legitimate work is directed against the badger, in
locating the brock under ground, worrying and driving him
into his innermost earth, and there holding him until dug out.
It is no part of his calling to come to close grips, though that
often happens in the confined space in which he has to work.
In this position a badger with his powerful claws digs with such
energy and skill as rapidly to bury himself, and the Dachshund
needs to be provided with such apparatus as will permit him to
clear his way and keep in touch with his formidable quarry.
The badger is also hunted by Dachshunds above ground,
usually in the mountainous parts of Germany, and in the
THE DACHSHUND 177
growing crops of maize, on the lower slopes, where the vermin
work terrible havoc in the evening. In this case the badger is
rounded up and driven by the dogs up to the guns which are
posted between the game and their earths. For this sport
the dog used is heavier, coarser, and of larger build, higher on
the leg, and more generally houndy in appearance. Dach-
shunds are frequently used for deer driving, in which operation
they are especially valuable, as they work slowly, and do not
frighten or -overrun their quarry, and can penetrate the
densest undergrowth. Packs of Dachshunds may sometimes be
engaged on wild boar, and, as they are web-footed and excel-
lent swimmers, there is no doubt that their terrier qualities
would make them useful assistants to the Otterhound.
Apropos of their capabilities in the water it is the case that a
year or two ago, at Offenbach-on-Main, at some trials arranged
for life-saving by dogs, a Dachshund carried off the first prize
against all comers.
As a companion in the house the Dachshund has perhaps no
compeer. He is a perfect gentleman ; cleanly in his habits,
obedient, unobtrusive, incapable of smallness, affectionate,
very sensitive to rebuke or to unkindness, and amusingly
jealous. As a watch he is excellent, quick to detect a strange
footstep, valiant to defend the threshold, and to challenge
with deep voice any intruder, yet sensibly discerning his
master's friends, and not annoying them with prolonged
growling and grumbling as many terriers do when a stranger
is admitted. Properly brought up, he is a perfectly safe and
amusing companion for children, full of animal spirits, and
ever ready to share in a romp, even though it be accompanied
by rough and tumble play. In Germany, where he is the most
popular of all dogs, large or small, he is to be found in every
home, from the Emperor's palace downwards, and his quaint
appearance, coupled with his entertaining personality, is daily
seized upon by the comic papers to illustrate countless jokes
at his expense.
The origin of the Dachshund is not very clear. Some
M
178 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
writers have professed to trace the breed or representations of
it on the monuments of the Egyptians. Some aver that it is
a direct descendant of the French Basset-hound, and others
that he is related to the old Turnspits — the dogs so excellent
in kitchen service, of whom Dr. Caius wrote that " when any
meat is to be roasted they go into a wheel, where they, turning
about with the weight of their bodies, so diligently look to their
business that no drudge nor scullion can do the feat more
cunningly, whom the popular sort hereupon term Turnspits."
Certainly the dog commonly used in this occupation was long
of body and short of leg, very much resembling the Dachshund.
In all probability the Dachshund is a manufactured breed —
a breed evolved from a large type of hound intermixed with a
terrier to suit the special conditions involved in the pursuit
and extermination of a quarry that, unchecked, was capable
of seriously interfering with the cultivation of the land.
He comprises in his small person the characteristics of both
hound and terrier — his wonderful powers of scent, his long,
pendulous ears, and, for his size, enormous bone, speak of his
descent from the hound that hunts by scent. In many
respects he favours the Bloodhound, and one may often see
Dachshunds which, having been bred from parents carefully
selected to accentuate some fancy point, have exhibited the
very pronounced " peak " (occipital bone), the protruding haw
of the eye, the loose dewlap and the colour markings char-
acteristic of the Bloodhound. His small stature, iron heart,
and willingness to enter the earth bespeak the terrier cross.
The Dachshund was first introduced to this country in
sufficient numbers to merit notice in the early 'sixties, and,
speedily attracting notice by his quaint formation and un-
doubted sporting instincts, soon became a favourite. At first
appearing at shows in the " Foreign Dog " class, he quickly
received a recognition of his claims to more favoured treat-
ment, and was promoted by the Kennel Club to a special classi-
fication as a sporting dog. Since then his rise has been rapid,
and he now is reckoned as one of the numerically largest breeds
THE DACHSHUND 179
exhibited. Unfortunately, however, he has been little, if ever,
used for sport in the sense that applies in Germany, and this
fact, coupled with years of breeding from too small a stock (or
stock too nearly related) and the insane striving after the
fanciful and exaggerated points demanded by judges at dog
shows, many of whom never saw a Dachshund at his legitimate
work, has seriously affected his usefulness. He has deteri-
orated in type, lost grit and sense, too, and is often a parody
of the true type of Dachshund that is to be found in his native
land.
To the reader who contemplates possessing one or more
Dachshunds a word of advice may be offered. Whether you
want a dog for sport, for show, or as a companion, endeavour to
get a good one — a well-bred one. To arrive at this do not buy
from an advertisement on your own knowledge of the breed,
but seek out an expert amateur breeder and exhibitor, and get
his advice and assistance. If you intend to start a kennel for
show purposes, do not buy a high1priced dog at a show, but
start with a well-bred bitch, and breed your own puppies,
under the guidance of the aforementioned expert. In this
way, and by rearing and keeping your puppies till they are of
an age to be exhibited, and at the same time carefully noting
the awards at the best shows, you will speedily learn which
to retain and the right type of dog to keep and breed for,
and in future operations you will be able to discard inferior
puppies at an earlier age. But it is a great mistake, if you
intend to form a kennel for show purposes, to sell or part
with your puppies too early. It is notorious with all breeds
that puppies change very much as they grow. The best look-
ing in the nest often go wrong later, and the ugly duckling
turns out the best of the litter. This is especially true of
Dachshunds, and it requires an expert to pick the best puppy
of a litter at a month or two old, and even he may be at fault
unless the puppy is exceptionally well reared.
To rear Dachshund puppies successfully you must not over-
load them with fat — give them strengthening food that does not
i8o DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
lay on flesh. Lean, raw beef, finely chopped, is an excellent
food once or twice a day for the first few months, and, though
this comes expensive, it pays in the end. Raw meat is supposed
to cause worm troubles, but these pests are also found where
meat is not given, and in any case a puppy is fortified with
more strength to withstand them if fed on raw meat than
otherwise, and a good dosing from time to time will be all that
is necessary to keep him well and happy.
Young growing puppies must have their freedom to gambol
about, and get their legs strong. Never keep the puppies
cooped up in a small kennel run or house. If you have a fair-
sized yard, give them the run of that, or even the garden, in
spite of what your gardener may say — they may do a little
damage to the flowers, but will assuredly do good to them-
selves. They love to dig in the soft borders : digging is
second nature to them, and is of great importance in their
development.
If you have not a garden, or if the flowers are too sacred, it is
better to place your puppies as early as possible with respec-
table cottagers, or small farmers, especially the latter, with
whom they will have entire freedom to run about, and will not
be overfed.
If you intend to show your puppies, you should begin some
time in advance to school them to walk on the lead and to
stand quiet when ordered to. Much depends on this in the
judging ring, where a dog who is unused to being on a
lead often spoils his chances of appearing at his best under
the (to him) strange experiences of restraint which the lead
entails.
During the past five-and-twenty years the names of two
particular Dachshunds stand out head and shoulders above
those of their competitors : Champions Jackdaw and Ptero-
dactyl. Jackdaw had a wonderful record, having, during a
long show career, never been beaten in his class from start to
finish, and having won many valuable prizes. He was
credited with being the most perfect Dachshund that had ever
THE DACHSHUND 181
been seen in England, and probably as good as anything in
Germany.
Ch. Jackdaw was a black and tan dog, bred and owned by
Mr. Harry Jones, of Ipswich. He was sired by Ch. Charkow,
out of Wagtail, and born 2Oth July, 1886. Through his dam
he was descended from a famous bitch, Thusnelda, who was
imported by Mr. Mudie in the early 'eighties. She was a
winner of high honours in Hanover. The name of Jackdaw
figures in all the best pedigrees of to-day.
Ch. Pterodactyl was born in 1888, and bred by Mr. Willink.
He was in a measure an outcross from the standard type of the
day, and his dam, whose pedigree is in dispute, was thought
to have been imported. After passing through one or two
hands he was purchased by Mr. Harry Jones, and in his kennel
speedily made a great name in the show ring and at the stud,
and was eventually sold for a high price to Mr. Sidney Woodi-
wiss, who at that period had the largest kennel of Dachshunds
in England.
" Ptero," as he was called, was a big, light red dog, with
wonderful fore-quarters and great muscular development. He
also possessed what is called a " punishing jaw " and rather
short ears, and looked a thorough " business " dog. He had an
almost unbroken series of successes at shows in England, and.
being taken to Germany (in the days before the quarantine
regulations), he took the highest honours in the heavy-weight
class, and a special prize for the best Dachshund of all
classes. This dog became the favourite sire of his day and
the fashionable colour.
The black and tan thereupon went quite out of favour, and
this fact, coupled with the reckless amount of inbreeding of
red to red that has been going on since Ptero 's day, accounts
largely for the prevalence of light eyes, pink noses, and bad-
coloured coats of the Dachshunds, as a class, to-day.
There are, strictly speaking, three varieties of Dachshund —
(a) the short-haired, (b) the long-haired, and (c) the rough-
haired.
i82 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
Of these we most usually find the first-named in England,
and they are no doubt the original stock. Of the others,
though fairly numerous in Germany, very few are to be seen
in this country, and although one or two have been imported
the type has never seemed to appeal to exhibitors.
Both the long-haired and rough-haired varieties have no
doubt been produced by crosses with other breeds, such as the
Spaniel and probably the Irish Terrier, respectively.
In the long-haired variety the hair should be soft and wavy,
forming lengthy plumes under the throat, lower parts of the
body, and the backs of the legs, and it is longest on the under
side of the tail, where it forms a regular flag like that of a
Setter or Spaniel. The rough-haired variety shows strongly
a terrier cross by his " varmint " expression and short ears.
The Germans also subdivide by colour, and again for show
purposes by weight. These subdivisions are dealt with in
their proper order in the standard of points, and it is only
necessary to say here that all the varieties, colours, and
weights are judged by the same standard except in so far as
they differ in texture of coat. At the same time the Germans
themselves do not regard the dapple Dachshunds as yet so
fixed in type as the original coloured dogs, and this exception
must also apply to the long and the rough haired varieties.
The following German standard of points embodies a
detailed description of the breed : —
General Appearance and Disposition — In general appearance the
Dachshund is a very long and low dog, with compact and well-muscled
body, resting on short, slightly crooked fore-legs. A long head and
ears, with bold and defiant carriage and intelligent expression. In
disposition the Dachshund is full of spirit, defiant when attacked,
aggressive even to foolhardiness when attacking ; in play amusing
and untiring ; by nature wilful and unheeding. Head — Long, and
appearing conical from above, and from a side view, tapering to the
point of the muzzle, wedge-shaped. The skull should be broad rather
than narrow, to allow plenty of brain room, sightly arched, and fairly
straight, without a stop, but not deep or snipy. Eyes — Medium in
size, oval, and set obliquely, with very clear, sharp expression and of a
dark colour, except in the case of the liver and tan, when the eyes may
be yellow ; and in the dapple, when the eyes may be light or " wall-
eyed." Nose — Preferably deep black. The flesh-coloured and spotted
THE DACHSHUND 183
noses are allowable only in the liver and tan and dapple varieties.
Ears — Set on moderately high, or, seen in profile, above the level of the
eyes, well back, flat, not folded, pointed, or narrow, hanging close to the
cheeks, very mobile, and when at attention carried with the back of the
ear upward and outward. Neck — Moderately long, with slightly
arched nape, muscular and clean, showing no dewlap, and carried well
up and forward. Fore-quarters — His work underground demands
strength and compactness, and, therefore, the chest and shoulder
regions should be deep, long, and wide. The shoulder blade should
be long, and set on very sloping, the upper arm of equal length with,
and at right angles to, the shoulder blade, strong-boned and well-
muscled, and lying close to ribs, but moving freely. The lower arm
is slightly bent inwards, and the feet should be turned slightly outwards,
giving an appearance of " crooked " legs approximating to the cabriole
of a Chippendale chair. Straight, narrow, short shoulders are always
accompanied by straight, short, upper arms, forming an obtuse angle,
badly developed brisket and " keel " or chicken breast, and the upper
arm being thrown forward by the weight of the body behind causes
the legs to knuckle over at the " knees." Broad, sloping shoulders,
on the other hand, insure soundness of the fore-legs and feet. Legs and
Feet — Fore-legs very short and strong in bone, slightly bent inwards ;
seen in profile, moderately straight and never bending forward or
knuckling over. Feet large, round, and strong, with thick pads, com-
pact and well-arched toes, nails strong and black. The dog must stand
equally on all parts of the foot. Body — Should be long and muscular,
the chest very oval, rather than very narrow and deep, to allow ample
room for heart and lungs, hanging low between front legs, the brisket
point should be high and very prominent, the ribs well sprung out
towards the loins (not flat-sided). Loins short and strong. The line
of back only slightly depressed behind shoulders and only slightly arched
over loins. The hind-quarters should not be higher than the shoulders,
thus giving a general appearance of levelness. Hind-quarters — The
ramp round, broad, and powerfully muscled ; hip bone not too short,
but broad and sloping ; the upper arm, or thigh, thick, of good length,
and jointed at right angles to the hip bone. The lower leg (or second
thigh) is, compared with other animals, short, and is set on at right
angles to the upper thigh, and is very firmly muscled. The hind-legs
are lighter in bone than the front ones, but very strongly muscled,
with well-rounded-out buttocks, and the knee joint well developed.
Seen from behind, the legs should be wide apart and straight, and not
cowhocked. The dog should not be higher at the quarters than at
shoulder. Stern — Set on fairly high, strong at root, and tapering, but
not too long. Neither too much curved nor carried too high ; well, but
not too much, feathered ; a bushy tail is better than too little hair.
Coat and Skin — Hair short and close as possible, glossy and smooth,
but resistant to the touch if stroked the wrong way. The skin tough
and elastic, but fitting close to the body. Colour — One Coloured: —
There are several self-colours recognised, including deep red, yellowish
red, smutty red. Of these the dark, or cherry, red is preferable, and in
this colour light shadings on any part of the body or head are undesir-
able. " Black " is rare, and is only a sport from black and tan. Two
i84 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
Coloured : — Deep black, brown (liver) or grey, with golden or tan
markings (spots) over the eyes at the side of the jaw and lips, inner rim
of ears, the breast, inside and back of legs, the feet, and under the tail
for about one-third of its length. In the above-mentioned colours white
markings are objectionable. The utmost that is allowed being a small
spot, or a few hairs, on the chest. Dappled : — A silver grey to almost
white foundation colour, with dark, irregular spots (small for prefer-
ence) of dark grey, brown, tan, or black. The general appearance
should be a bright, indefinite coloration, which is considered especially
useful in a hunting dog. Weight — Dachshunds in Germany are classi-
fied by weight as follows : — Light-weight — Dogs up to 16 } lb., bitches
up to 15 i lb. Middle-weight — Dogs up to 22 lb., bitches up to 22 lb.
Heavy-weight — Over 22 lb. Toys — Up to 12 lb. The German pound
is one-tenth more than the English. The light-weight dog is most
used for going to ground.
CHAPTER XXVIII
THE OLD WORKING TERRIER
THERE can hardly have been a time since the period of the
Norman Conquest when the small earth dogs which we now
call terriers were not known in these islands and used by
sporting men as assistants in the chase, and by husbandmen
for the killing of obnoxious vermin. The two little dogs shown
in the Bayeux tapestry running with the hounds in advance
of King Harold's hawking party were probably meant for
terriers. Dame Juliana Berners in the fifteenth century did
not neglect to include the " Teroures " in her catalogue of
sporting dogs, and a hundred years later Dr. Caius gave
pointed recognition to their value in unearthing the fox and
drawing the badger.
" Another sorte, there is," wrote the doctor's translator in
1576, " which hunteth the Fox and the Badger or Greye onely,
whom we call Terrars, because they (after the manner and
custome of ferrets in searching for Connyes) creep into the
grounde, and by that meanes make afrayde, nyppe and bite
the Foxe and the Badger in such sorte that eyther they teare
them in pieces with theyr teeth, beying in the bosome of the
earth, or else hayle and pull them perforce out of theyr lurking
angles, darke dongeons, and close caues ; or at the least through
cocened feare drive them out of theire hollow harbours, in so
much that they are compelled to prepare speedie flyte, and,
being desirous of the next (albeit not the safest) refuge, are
otherwise taken and intrapped with snayres and nettes layde
over holes to the same purpose. But these be the least in that
kynde called Sagax."
186 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
The colour, size, and shape of the original terriers are not
indicated by the early writers, and art supplies but vague and
uncertain evidence. Nicholas Cox, who wrote of sporting
dogs in The Gentleman's Recreation (1667), seems to suggest
that the type of working terrier was already fixed suffi-
ciently to be divided into two kinds, the one having shaggy
coats and straight limbs, the other smooth coats and short bent
legs. Yet some years later another authority — Blome — in
the same publication was more guarded in his statements
as to the terrier type when he wrote : " Everybody that is
a fox hunter is of opinion that he hath a good breed, and
some will say that the terrier is a peculiar species of itself. I
will not say anything to the affirmative or negative of the
point."
Searching for evidence on the subject, one finds that per-
haps the earliest references to the colours of terriers were made
by Daniel in his Field Sports at the end of the eighteenth
century, when he described two sorts, the one rough, short-
legged, and long-backed, very strong, and " most commonly
of a black or yellowish colour, mixed with white " — evidently
a hound-marked dog ; and another smooth-coated and beauti-
fully formed, with a shorter body and more sprightly appear-
ance, " generally of a reddish brown colour, or black with
tanned legs."
Gilpin's portrait of Colonel Thornton's celebrated Pitch,
painted in 1790, presents a terrier having a smooth white coat
with a black patch at the set-on of the undocked tail, and black
markings on the face and ears. The dog's head is badly drawn
and small in proportion ; but the body and legs and colouring
would hardly disgrace the Totteridge Kennels of to-day. Fox-
terriers of a noted strain were depicted from life by Reinagle
in The Sportsman's Cabinet, published over a hundred years
ago ; and in the text accompanying the engraving a minute
account is given of the peculiarities and working capacities
of the terrier. We are told that there were two breeds : the
one wire-haired, larger, more powerful, and harder bitten ;
THE OLD WORKING TERRIER 187
the other smooth-haired and smaller, with more style. The
wire-hairs were white with spots, the smooths were black and
tan, the tan apparently predominating over the black. The
same writer states that it was customary to take out a brace
of terriers with a pack of hounds, a larger and a smaller one,
the smaller dog being used in emergency when the earth
proved to be too narrow to admit his bigger companion. It is
well known that many of the old fox hunters have kept their
special breeds of terrier, and the Belvoir, the Grove, and Lord
Middleton's are among the packs to which particular terrier
strains have been attached.
That even a hundred years ago terriers were bred with care,
and that certain strains were held in especial value, is shown
by the recorded fact that a litter of seven puppies was sold
for twenty-one guineas — a good price even in these days —
and that on one occasion so high a sum as twenty guineas was
paid for a full-grown dog. At that time there was no definite
and well-established breed recognised throughout the islands
by a specific name ; the embracing title of " Terrier " included
all the varieties which have since been carefully differentiated.
But very many of the breeds existed in their respective locali-
ties awaiting national recognition. Here and there some
squire or huntsman nurtured a particular strain and developed
a type which he kept pure, and at many a manor-house and
farmstead in Devonshire and Cumberland, on many a High-
land estate and Irish riverside where there were foxes to be
hunted or otters to be killed, terriers of definite strain were
religiously cherished. Several of these still survive, and are
as respectable in descent and quite as important historically
as some of the favoured and fashionable champions of our
time. They do not perhaps possess the outward beauty and
distinction of type which would justify their being brought
into general notice, but as workers they retain all the fire and
verve that are required in dogs that are expected to encounter
such vicious vermin as the badger and the fox.
Some of the breeds of terriers seen nowadays in every dog
i88 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
show were equally obscure and unknown a few years back.
Thirty-seven years ago the now popular Irish Terrier was prac-
tically unknown in England, and the Scottish Terrier was only
beginning to be recognised as a distinct breed. The Welsh
Terrier is quite a new introduction that a dozen or so years ago
was seldom seen outside the Principality ; and so recently as
1881 the Airedale was merely a local dog known in Yorkshire
as the Waterside or the Bingley Terrier. Yet the breeds just
mentioned are all of unimpeachable ancestry, and the circum-
stance that they were formerly bred within limited neighbour-
hoods is in itself an argument in favour of their purity. We
have seen the process of a sudden leap into recognition enacted
during the past few years in connection with the white terrier
of the Western Highlands — a dog which was familiarly known
in Argyllshire centuries ago, yet which has only lately emerged
from the heathery hillsides around Poltalloch to become an
attraction on the benches at the Crystal Palace and on the
lawns of the Botanical Gardens ; and the example suggests
the possibility that in another decade or so the neglected
Sealyham Terrier, the ignored terrier of the Borders, and the
almost forgotten Jack Russell strain, may have claimed a due
recompense for their long neglect.
There are lovers of the hard-bitten working "earth dogs "
who still keep these strains inviolate, and who greatly prefer
them to the better-known terriers whose natural activities
have been too often atrophied by a system of artificial breeding
to show points. Few of these old unregistered breeds would
attract the eye of the fancier accustomed to judge a dog
parading before him in the show ring. To know their value
and to appreciate their sterling good qualities, one needs to
watch them at work on badger or when they hit upon the line
of an otter. It is then that they display the alertness and the
dare-devil courage which have won for the English terriers
their name and fame.
An excellent working terrier was the white, rough-haired
strain kept by the Rev. John Russell in Devonshire and
THE OLD WORKING TERRIER 189
distributed among privileged sportsmen about Somersetshire
and Gloucestershire. The working attributes of these ener-
getic terriers have long been understood, and the smart, plucky
little dogs have been constantly coveted by breeders all over the
country, but they have never won the popularity they deserve.
Those who have kept both varieties prefer the Russell to
the Sealyham Terrier, which is nevertheless an excellent
worker. It is on record that one of these, a bitch of only 9 Ib.
weight, fought and killed, single-handed, a full-grown dog-fox.
The Sealyham derives its breed name from the seat of the
Edwardes family, near Haverfordwest, in Pembrokeshire,
where the strain has been carefully preserved for well over a
century. It is a long-bodied, short-legged terrier, with a
hard, wiry coat, frequently whole white, but also white with
black or brown markings or brown with black. They may be
as heavy as 17 Ib., but 12 Ib. is the average weight. Some
years ago the breed seemed to be on the down grade, requiring
fresh blood from a well-chosen out-cross. One hears very
little concerning them nowadays, but it is certain that when
in their prime they possessed all the grit, determination, and
endurance that are looked for in a good working terrier.
A wire-haired black and tan terrier was once common in
Suffolk and Norfolk, where it was much used for rabbiting,
but it may now be extinct, or, if not extinct, probably identified
with the Welsh Terrier, which it closely resembled in size
and colouring. There was also in Shropshire a well-known
breed of wire-hair terriers, black and tan, on very short legs,
and weighing about 10 Ib. or 12 Ib., with long punishing heads
and extraordinary working powers. So, too, in Lancashire
and Cheshire one used to meet with sandy-coloured terriers
of no very well authenticated strain, but closely resembling
the present breed of Irish Terrier ; and Squire Thornton, at
his place near Pickering, in Yorkshire, had a breed of wire-
hairs tan in colour with a black stripe down the back. Then
there is the Cowley strain, kept by the Cowleys of Callipers,
near King's Langley. These are white wire-haired dogs
190 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
marked like the Fox-terrier, and exceedingly game. Possibly
the Elterwater Terrier is no longer to be found, but some few
of them still existed a dozen years or so ago in the Lake District,
where they were used in conjunction with the West Cumber-
land Otterhounds. They were not easily distinguishable from
the better-known Border Terriers of which there are still
many strains, ranging from Northumberland, where Mr. T.
Robson, of Bellingham, has kept them for many years, to
Galloway and Ayrshire and the Lothians, where their coats
become longer and less crisp.
There are many more local varieties of the working terrier
as, for example, the Roseneath, which is often confused with
the Poltalloch, or White West Highlander, to whom it is
possibly related. And the Pittenweem, with which the Pol-
talloch Terriers are now being crossed ; while Mrs. Alastair
Campbell, of Ardrishaig, has a pack of Cairn Terriers which
seem to represent the original type of the improved Scottie.
Considering the great number of strains that have been pre-
served by sporting families and maintained in more or less
purity to type, it is easy to understand how a " new " breed
may become fashionable, and still claim the honour of long
descent. They may not in all cases have the beauty of shape
which is desired on the show bench ; but it is well to remem-
ber that while our show terriers have been bred to the highest
perfection we still possess in Great Britain a separate order of
" earth dogs " that for pluckily following the fox and the badger
into their lairs or bolting an otter from his holt cannot be
excelled all the world over.
CHAPTER XXIX
THE WHITE ENGLISH TERRIER
THIS dog, one would think, ought, by the dignified title which
he bears, to be considered a representative national terrier,
forming a fourth in the distinctively British quartette whose
other members are the Scottish, the Irish, and the Welsh
Terriers. Possibly in the early days when Pearson and Roo-
croft bred him to perfection it was hoped and intended that
he should become a breed typical of England. He is still the
only terrier who owns the national name, but he has long ago
yielded pride of place to the Fox-terrier, and it is the case that
the best specimens of his race are bred north of the border,
while, instead of being the most popular dog in the land, he is
actually one of the most neglected and the most seldom seen.
At the Kennel Club Show of 1909 there was not a single
specimen of the breed on view, nor was one to be found at
the recent shows at Edinburgh, Birmingham, Manchester,
or Islington, nor at the National Terrier Show at Westminster.
It is a pity that so smart and beautiful a dog should be suffered
to fall into such absolute neglect. One wonders what the
reason of it can be. Possibly it is that the belief still prevails
that he is of delicate constitution, and is not gifted with a
great amount of intelligence or sagacity ; there is no doubt,
however, that a potent factor in hastening the decline is to be
found in the edict against cropping. Neither the White
Terrier nor the Manchester Terrier has since been anything
like so popular as they both were before April, 1898, when the
Kennel Club passed the law that dogs' ears must not be
cropped.
191
192 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
Writers on canine history, and Mr. Rawdon Lee among the
number, tell us that the English White Terrier is a compara-
tively new breed, and that there is no evidence to show where
he originally sprang from, who produced him, or for what
reason he was introduced. His existence as a distinct breed
is dated back no longer than forty years. This is about the
accepted age of most of our named English terriers. Half a
century ago, before the institution of properly organised dog
shows drew particular attention to the differentiation of breeds,
the generic term " terrier " without distinction was applied
to all " earth dogs," and the consideration of colour and size was
the only common rule observed in breeding. But it would
not be difficult to prove that a white terrier resembling the
one now under notice existed in England as a separate variety
many generations anterior to the period usually assigned to
its recognition.
In the National Portrait Gallery there is a portrait of Mary
of Modena, Queen Consort of James II., painted in 1670 by
William Wissing, who has introduced at the Queen's side a
terrier that is undoubtedly of this type. The dog has slight
brown or brindle markings on the back, as many English
White Terriers have, and it is to be presumed that it is of the
breed from which this variety is descended.
Apart from colour there is not a great difference between
the White English Terrier and the Manchester Black and
Tan. But although they are of similar shape and partake
much of the same general character, yet there is the distinction
that in the black and tan the conservation of type is stronger
and more noticeable than in the white, in which the correct
shape and action are difficult to obtain. It ought naturally
to be easier to breed a pure white dog from white parents than
to breed correctly marked and well tanned puppies from per-
fect black and tans ; but the efforts of many breeders do not
seem to support such a theory in connection with the English
Terrier, whose litters frequently show the blemish of a spot
of brindle or russet. These spots usually appear behind the
THE WHITE ENGLISH TERRIER 193
ears or on the neck, and are of course a disfigurement on a
dog whose coat to be perfect should be of an intense and
brilliant white. It appears to be equally difficult to breed
one which, while having the desired purity of colour, is also
perfect in shape and terrier character. It is to be noted,
too, that many otherwise good specimens are deaf — a fault
which seriously militates against the dog's possibilities as a
companion or as a watch.
Birmingham and Manchester were the localities in which the
English Terrier was most popular forty years ago, but it was
Mr. Frederick White, of Clapham, who bred all the best of the
white variety and who made it popular in the neighbourhood
of London. His terriers were of a strain founded by a dog
named King Dick, and in 1863 he exhibited a notable team in
Laddie, Fly, Teddie, and Nettle. Mr. S. E. Shirley, M.P., was
attracted to the breed, and possessed many good examples,
as also did the Rev. J. W. Mellor and Mr. J. H. Murchison.
Mr. Alfred Benjamin's Silvio was a prominent dog in 1877.
Silvio was bred by Mr. James Roocroft, of Bolton, who
owned a large kennel of this variety of terrier, and who joined
with his townsman, Joe Walker, and with Bill Pearson in
raising the breed to popularity in Lancashire. Bill Pearson
was the breeder of Tim, who was considered the best terrier
of his time, a dog of 14 lb., with a brilliant white coat, the
darkest of eyes, and a perfect black nose.
It is apparent that the Whippet was largely used as a cross
with the English Terrier, which may account to a great
extent for the decline of terrier character in the breed. Wiser
breeders had recourse to the more closely allied Bull-terrier ;
Mr. Shirley's prize winning Purity was by Tim out of a Bull-
terrier bitch, and there is no doubt that whatever stamina
remains in the breed has been supported by this cross.
The following is the description laid down by the White
English Terrier Club : —
Head — Narrow, long and level, almost flat skull, without cheek
muscles, wedge-shaped, well filled up under the eyes, tapering to the
N
194 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
nose, and not lippy. Eyes — Small and black, set fairly close together,
and oblong in shape. Nose — Perfectly black. Ears — Cropped and
standing perfectly erect. Neck and Shoulders — The neck should be
fairly long and tapering from the shoulders to the head, with sloping
shoulders, the neck being free from throatiness, and slightly arched
at the occiput. Chest — Narrow and deep. Body — Short and curving
upwards at the loins, sprung out behind the shoulders, back slightly
arched at loins, and falling again at the joining of the tail to the same
height as the shoulders. Legs — Perfectly straight and well under the
body, moderate in bone, and of proportionate length. Feet — Feet
nicely arched, with toes set well together, and more inclined to be round
than hare-footed. Tall — Moderate length, and set on where the arch of
the back ends, thick where it joins the body, tapering to a point, and
not carried higher than the back. Coat — Close, hard, short, and glossy.
Colour — Pure white, coloured marking to disqualify. Condition —
Flesh and muscles to be hard and firm. Weight — Froni 12 Ib. to 20 Ib.
CHAPTER XXX
THE BLACK AND TAN TERRIER
THE Black and Tan, or Manchester, Terrier as we know him
to-day is a comparatively new variety, and he is not to be
confounded with the original terrier with tan and black
colouring which was referred to by Dr. Caius in the sixteenth
century, and which was at that time used for going to ground
and driving out badgers and foxes.
Formerly there was but little regard paid to colour and
markings, and there was a considerably greater proportion of
tan in the coat than there is at the present day, while the fancy
markings, such as pencilled toes, thumb marks, and kissing
spots were not cultivated. The general outline of the dog,
too, was less graceful and altogether coarser.
During the first half of the nineteenth century the chief
accomplishment of this terrier was rat-killing. There are some
extraordinary accounts of his adroitness, as well as courage,
in destroying these vermin. The feats of a dog called Billy
are recorded. He was matched to destroy one hundred large
rats in eight minutes and a half. The rats were brought into
the ring in bags, and as soon as the number was complete
Billy was put over the railing into their midst. In six
minutes and thirty-five seconds they were all destroyed. In
another match he killed the same number in six minutes
and thirteen seconds.
It was a popular terrier in Lancashire, and it was in this
county that the refining process in his shape and colouring
was practised, and where he came by the name of the
Manchester Terrier.
196 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
Like the White English Terriers the Black and Tan has fallen
on evil days. It is not a popular dog among fanciers, and
although many good ones may be seen occasionally about the
streets the breed suffers from want of the care and attention
that are incidental to the breeding and rearing of dogs intended
for competition at shows.
There are many who hold the opinion that one of the chief
reasons for the decadence in the popularity of the Black and
Tan Terrier, notwithstanding its many claims to favour, is to
be found in the loss of that very alert appearance which was
a general characteristic before the Kennel Club made it illegal
to crop the ears of such as were intended for exhibition. It
must be admitted that until very recently there was a con-
siderable amount of truth in the prevalent opinion, inasmuch
as a rather heavy ear, if carried erect, was the best material
to work upon, and from which to produce the long, fine, and
upright, or " pricked " effect which was looked upon as being
the correct thing in a cropped dog ; hence it followed that no
care was taken to select breeding stock likely to produce the
small, semi-erect, well-carried, and thin ears required to-day,
consequently when the edict forbidding the use of scissors
came into force there were very few small-eared dogs to be
found. It has taken at least ten or a dozen years to eradicate
the mischief, and even yet the cure is not complete.
Another factor which has had a bad effect is the belief,
which has become much too prevalent, that a great deal of
" faking " has been practised in the past, and that it has been
so cleverly performed as to deceive the most observant judge,
whereby a very artificial standard of quality has been obtained.
The standard of points by which the breed should be
judged is as follows :—
General Appearance — A terrier calculated to take his own part in the
rat pit, and not of the Whippet type. Head — The head should be long,
flat, and narrow, level and wedge-shaped, without showing cheek
muscles ; well filled up under the eyes, with tapering, tightly-lipped
jaws and level teeth. Eyes — The eyes should be very small, sparkling,
and bright, set fairly close together and oblong in shape. Nose — Black.
THE BLACK AND TAN TERRIER 197
Ears — The correct carriage of ears is a debatable point since cropping
has been abolished. Probably in the large breed the drop ear is correct,
but for Toys either erect or semi-erect carriage of the ear is most
desirable. Neck and Shoulders — The neck should be fairly long and
tapering from the shoulders to the head, with sloping shoulders, the
neck being free from throatiness and slightly arched at the occiput.
Chest — The chest should be narrow but deep. Body — The body should
be moderately short and curving upwards at the loin ; ribs well sprung,
back slightly arched at the loin and falling again at the joining of the
tail to the same height as the shoulders. Feet — The feet should be
more inclined to be cat- than hare-footed. Tail — The tail should be of
moderate length and set on where the arch of the back ends ; thick
where it joins the body, tapering to a point, and not carried higher
than the back. Coat — The coat should be close, smooth, short and
glossy. Colour — The coat should be jet black and rich mahogany tan,
distributed over the body as follows : On the head the muzzle is tanned
to the nose, which with the nasal bone is jet black. There is also a
bright spot on each cheek and above each eye ; the underjaw and throat
are tanned, and the hair inside the ears is the same colour ; the fore-legs
tanned up to the knee, with black lines (pencil marks) up each toe,
and a black mark (thumb mark) above the foot ; inside the hind-legs
tanned, but divided with black at the hock joints ; and under the tail
also tanned ; and so is the vent, but only sufficiently to be easily
covered by the tail ; also slightly tanned on each side of the chest.
Tan outside the hind-legs — commonly called breeching — is a serious
defect. In all cases the black should not run into the tan, nor vice versa,
but the division between the two colours should be well defined.
Weight — For toys not exceeding 7 Ib. ; for the large breed from 10 to
20 Ib. is most desirable.
CHAPTER XXXI
THE BULL-TERRIER
THE Bull-terrier is now a gentlemanly and respectably owned
dog, wearing an immaculate white coat and a burnished
silver collar ; he has dealings with aristocracy, and is no longer
contemned for keeping bad company. But a generation or
two ago he was commonly the associate of rogues and vaga-
bonds, skulking at the heels of such members of society as Mi .
William Sikes, whom he accompanied at night on darksome
business to keep watch outside while Bill was within, crack-
ing the crib. In those days the dog's ears were closely
cropped, not for the sake of embellishment, but as a measure
of protection against the fangs of his opponent in the pit when
money was laid upon the result of a well-fought fight to the
death. For fighting was the acknowledged vocation of his
order, and he was bred and trained to the work. He knew
something of rats, too, and many of his kind were famed in the
land for their prowess in this direction. Jimmy Shaw's Jacko
could finish off sixty rats in three minutes, and on one occasion
made a record by killing a thousand in a trifle over an hour
and a half.
The breed is sufficiently modern to leave no doubt as to
its derivation. In the first quarter of the nineteenth century
attention was being directed to the improvement of terriers
generally, and new types were sought for. They were alert,
agile little dogs, excellent for work in the country ; but
the extravagant Corinthians of the time — the young gamesters
who patronised the prize-ring and the cock-pit — desired to
have a dog who should do something more than kill rats, or
THE BULL-TERRIER 199
unearth the fox, or bolt the otter : which accomplishments
afforded no amusement to the Town. They wanted a dog
combining all the dash and gameness of the terrier with the
heart and courage and fighting instinct of the Bulldog.
Wherefore the terrier and the Bulldog were crossed. A large
type of terrier was chosen, and this would be the smooth-coated
Black and Tan, or the early English White Terrier ; but pro-
bably both were used indifferently, and for a considerable
period. The result gave the young bucks what they required :
a dog that was at once a determined vermin killer and an
intrepid fighter, upon whose skill in the pit wagers might with
confidence be laid.
The animal, however, was neither a true terrier nor a true
Bulldog, but an uncompromising mongrel ; albeit he served
his immediate purpose, and was highly valued for his pertina-
city, if not for his appearance. In 1806 Lord Camelford
possessed one for which he had paid the very high price of
eighty-four guineas, and which he presented to Belcher, the
pugilist. This dog was figured in The Sporting Magazine of
the time. He was a short-legged, thick-set, fawn-coloured
specimen, with closely amputated ears, a broad blunt muzzle,
and a considerable lay-back ; and this was the kind of dog
which continued for many years to be known as the Bull-and-
terrier. He was essentially a man's dog, and was vastly in
favour among the undergraduates of Oxford and Cambridge.
Gradually the Bulldog element, at first pronounced, was
reduced to something like a fourth degree, and, with the
terrier character predominating, the head was sharpened, the
limbs were lengthened and straightened until little remained of
the Bulldog strain but the dauntless heart and the fearless
fighting spirit, together with the frequent reversion to brindle
colouring, which was the last outward and visible characteristic
to disappear.
Within the remembrance of men not yet old the Bull-terrier
was as much marked with fawn, brindle, or even black, as are
the Fox-terriers of our own period. But fifty years or so ago
200 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
white was becoming frequent, and was much admired. A
strain of pure white was bred by James Hinks, a well-known
dog-dealer of Birmingham, and it is no doubt to Hinks that
we are indebted for the elegant Bull-terrier of the type that
we know to-day. These Birmingham dogs showed a refine-
ment and grace and an absence of the crook-legs and coloured
patches which betrayed that Hinks had been using an out-
cross with the English White Terrier, thus getting away further
still from the Bulldog.
With the advent of the Hinks strain in 1862 the short-faced
dog fell into disrepute, and pure white became the accepted
colour. There was a wide latitude in the matter of weight.
If all other points were good, a dog might weigh anything
between 10 and 38 Ibs., but classes were usually divided for
those above and those below 16 Ib. The type became fixed,
and it was ruled that the perfect Bull-terrier " must have a
long head, wide between the ears, level jaws, a small black eye,
a large black nose, a long neck, straight fore-legs, a small
hare foot, a narrow chest, deep brisket, powerful loin, long
body, a tail set and carried low, a fine coat, and small ears well
hung and dropping forward."
Idstone, who wrote this description in 1872, earnestly
insisted that the ears of all dogs should be left uncut and as
Nature made them ; but for twenty years thereafter the ears
of the Bull-terrier continued to be cropped to a thin, erect
point. The practice of cropping, it is true, was even
then illegal and punishable by law, but, although there were
occasional convictions under the Cruelty to Animals Act,
the dog owners who admired the alertness and perkiness of
the cut ear ignored the risk they ran, and it was not until the
Kennel Club took resolute action against the practice that
cropping was entirely abandoned.
The president of the Kennel Club, Mr. S. E. Shirley, M.P.,
had himself been a prominent owner and breeder of the Bull-
terrier. His Nelson, bred by Joe Willock, was celebrated
as an excellent example of the small-sized terrier, at a time,
THE BULL-TERRIER 201
however, when there were not a great many competitors of the
highest quality. His Dick, also, was a remarkably good dog.
Earlier specimens which have left their names in the history of
the breed were Hinks's Old Dutch, who was, perhaps, even a
more perfect terrier than the same breeder's Madman and
Puss.
Lancashire and Yorkshire have always been noted for good
Bull-terriers, and the best of the breed have usually been pro-
duced in the neighbourhoods of Leeds, Bradford, Manchester,
Bolton, and Liverpool, while Birmingham also shared in the
reputation. At one time Londoners gave careful attention to
the breed, stimulated thereto by the encouragement of
Mr. Shirley and the success of Alfred George.
Of recent years the Bull-terrier has not been a great favourite,
and it has sadly deteriorated in type ; but there are signs
that the variety is again coming into repute, and within the
past two years many admirable specimens — as nearly perfect,
perhaps, as many that won honour in former generations —
have been brought into prominence. Among dogs, for
example, there are Mr. E. T. Pimm's Sweet Lavender, Dr.
M. Amsler's MacGregor, Mr. Chris Houlker's His Highness,
and Mr. J. Haynes' Bloomsbury Young King. Among bitches
there are Mrs. Kipping's Delphinium Wild and Desdemona,
Mr. Hornby's Lady Sweetheart, Mr. W. Mayor's Mill Girl,
Mr. T. Gannaway's Charlwood Belle, Dr. J. W. Low's Bess of
Hardwicke, and Mrs. E. G. Money's Eastbourne Tarqueenia.
While these and such as these beautiful and typical terriers
are being bred and exhibited there is no cause to fear a further
decline in popularity for a variety so eminently engaging.
The club description is as follows : —
General Appearance — The general appearance of the Bull-terrier
is that of a symmetrical animal, the embodiment of agility, grace,
elegance, and determination. Head — The head should be long, flat,
and wide between the ears, tapering to the nose, without cheek muscles.
There should be a slight indentation down the face, without a stop
between the eyes. The jaws should be long and very powerful, with a
large black nose and open nostrils. Eyes small and very black, almond
hape preferred. The lips should meet as tightly as possible, without
202 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
a fold. The teeth should be regular in shape, and should meet exactly ;
any deviation, such as pigjaw, or being underhung, is a great fault.
Ears — The ears, when cropped, should be done scientifically and accord-
ing to fashion. Cropped dogs cannot win a prize at shows held under
Kennel Club rules, if born after March 31st, 1895. When not cropped,
it should be a semi-erect ear, but others do not disqualify. Neck —
The neck should be long and slightly arched, nicely set into the shoulders
tapering to the head without any loose skin, as found in the Bulldog.
Shoulders — The shoulders should be strong, muscular, and slanting ;
the chest wide and deep, with ribs well rounded. Back — The back
short and muscular, but not out of proportion to the general contour
of the animal. Legs — The fore-legs should be perfectly straight, with
well-developed muscles ; not out at shoulder, but set on the racing
lines, and very strong at the pastern joints. The hind-legs are long
and, in proportion to the fore-legs, muscular, with good strong, straight
hocks, well let down near the ground. Feet — The feet more resemble
those of a cat than a hare. Colour — Should be white. Coat — Short,
close, and stiff to the touch, with a fine gloss. Tail — Short in pro-
portion to the size of the dog, set on very low down, thick where it
joins the body, and tapering to a fine point. It should be carried at an
angle of about 45 degrees, without curl, and never over the back.
Height at Shoulders— From 12 to 18 inches. Weight— From 15 Ib.
to 50 Ib.
CHAPTER XXXII
THE SMOOTH FOX-TERRIER
To attempt to set forth the origin of the Fox-terrier as we
know him to-day would be of no interest to the general reader,
and would entail the task of tracing back the several hetero-
geneous sources from which he sprang. It is a matter of very
little moment whether he owes his origin to the white English
Terrier or to the Bull-terrier crossed with the Black and Tan,
or whether he has a mixture of Beagle blood in his composi-
tion, so it will suffice to take him as he emerged from the
chaos of mongreldom about the middle of the last century,,
rescued in the first instance by the desire of huntsmen or
masters of well-known packs to produce a terrier somewhat
in keeping with their hounds ; and, in the second place, to the-
advent of dog shows. Prior to that time any dog capable,
from his size, conformation, and pluck, of going to ground and
bolting his fox was a Fox-terrier, were he rough or smooth,,
black, brown, or white.
The starting-point of the modern Fox-terrier dates from
about the 'sixties, and no pedigrees before that are worth
considering.
From three dogs then well known — Old Jock, Trap, and
Tartar — he claims descent ; and, thanks to the Fox-terrier
Club and the great care taken in compiling their stud-books,
he can be brought down to to-day. Of these three dogs Old
Jock was undoubtedly more of a terrier than the others. It is,
a moot point whether he was bred, as stated in most records
of the time, by Captain Percy Williams, master of the Rufford,
or by Jack Morgan, huntsman to the Grove ; it seems,.
203
204 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
however, well established that the former owned his sire, also
called Jock, and that his dam, Grove Pepper, was the property
of Morgan. He first came before the public at the Birming-
ham show in 1862, where, shown by Mr. Wootton, of Notting-
ham, he won first prize. He subsequently changed hands
several times, till he became the property of Mr. Murchison,
in whose hands he died in the • early 'seventies. He was
exhibited for the last time at the Crystal Palace in 1870, and
though then over ten years old won second to the same
owner's Trimmer. At his best he was a smart, well-baianced
terrier, with perhaps too much daylight under him, and want-
ing somewhat in jaw power ; but he showed far less of the
Bull-terrier type than did his contemporary Tartar.
This dog's antecedents were very questionable, and his
breeder is given as Mr. Stevenson, of Chester, most of whose
dogs were Bull-terriers pure and simple, save that they had
drop ears and short sterns, being in this respect unlike old
Trap, whose sire is generally supposed to have been a Black
and Tan Terrier. This dog came from the Oakley Kennels, and
he was supposed to have been bred by a miller at Leicester.
However questionable the antecedents of these three terriers
may have been, they are undoubtedly the progenitors of our
present strain, and from them arose the kennels that we
have to-day.
Mention has been made of Mr. Murchison, and to him we owe
in a great measure the start in popularity which since the
foundation of his large kennel the Fox-terrier has enjoyed.
Mr. Murchison 's chief opponents in the early 'seventies
were Mr. Gibson, of Brockenhurst, with his dogs Tyke and
Old Foiler ; Mr. Luke Turner, of Leicester, with his Belvoir
strain, which later gave us Ch. Brockenhurst Joe, Ch. Olive
and her son, Ch. Spice ; Mr. Theodore Bassett, Mr. Allison,
and, a year or so later, Mr. Frederick Burbidge, the Messrs.
Clarke, Mr. Tinne, Mr. Francis Redmond, and Mr. Vicary.
About this time a tremendous impetus was given to the breed
by the formation, in 1876, of the Fox-terrier Club, which
THE SMOOTH FOX-TERRIER 205
owed its inception to Mr. Harding Cox and a party of enthu-
siasts seated round his dinner table at 36, Russell Square,
among whom were Messrs. Bassett, Burbidge, Doyle, Allison,
and Redmond, the last two named being still members of the
club. The idea was very warmly welcomed, a committee
formed, and a scale of points drawn up which, with but one
alteration, is in vogue to-day. Every prominent exhibitor
or breeder then, and with few exceptions since, has been a
member, and the club is by far the strongest of all specialist
clubs.
It will be well to give here the said standard of points.
Head and Ears — The Skull should be flat and moderately narrow,
and gradually decreasing in width to the eyes. Not much " stop "
should be apparent, but there should be more dip in the profile between
the forehead and top jaw than is seen in the case of a Greyhound. The
Cheeks must not be full. The Ears should be V-shaped and small, of
moderate thickness, and dropping forward close to the cheek, not
hanging by the side of the head like a Foxhound's. The Jaw, upper
and under, should be strong and muscular ; should be of fair punishing
strength, but not so in any way to resemble the Greyhound or modern
English Terrier. There should not be much falling away below the
eyes. This part of the head, should, however, be moderately chiselled
out, so as not to go down in a straight line like a wedge. The Nose,
towards which the muzzle must gradually taper, should be black.
The Eyes should be dark in colour, small, and rather deep set, full of
flre, life, and intelligence ; as nearly as possible circular in shape. The
Teeth should be as nearly as possible level, i.e., the upper teeth on the
outside of the lower teeth. Neck — Should be clean and muscular,
without throatiness, of fair length, and gradually widening to the
shoulders. Shoulders and Chest — The Shoulders should be long and
sloping, well laid back, fine at the points, and clearly cut at the
withers. The Chest deep and not broad. Back and Loin — The
Back should be short, straight, and strong, with no appear-
ance of slackness. The Loin should be powerful and very slightly
arched. The fore ribs should be moderately arched, the back ribs
deep ; and the dog should be well ribbed up. Hind-quarters
— Should be strong and muscular, quite free from droop or crouch;
the thighs long and powerful ; hocks near the ground, the dog
standing well up on them like a Foxhound, and not straight in the
stifle. Stern — Should be set on rather high, and carried gaily, but not
over the back or curled. It should be of good strength, anything
approaching a " pipe-stopper " tail being especially objectionable.
Legs and Feet — The Legs viewed in any direction must be straight,
showing little or no appearance of an ankle in front. They should be
strong in bone throughout, short and straight to pastern. Both fore
and hind legs should be carried straight forward in travelling, the
206 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
stifles not turned outwards. The elbows should hang perpendicular
to the body, working free of the side. The Feet should be round,
compact, and not large. The soles hard and tough. The toes moderately
arched, and turned neither in nor out. Coat — Should be straight,
flat, smooth, hard, dense, and abundant. The belly and under side
of the thighs should not be bare. As regards colour, white should
predominate ; brindle, red, or liver markings are objectionable. Other-
wise this point is of little or no importance. Symmetry, Size, and
Character — The dog must present a general gay, lively, and active
appearance ; bone and strength in a small compass are essentials ;
but this must not be taken to mean that a Fox-terrier should be
cloggy, or in any way coarse — speed and endurance must be looked
to as well as power, and the symmetry of the Foxhound taken as a
model. The terrier, like the hound, must on no account be leggy, nor
must he be too short in the leg. He should stand like a cleverly-made
hunter, covering a lot of ground, yet with a short back, as before stated.
He will then attain the highest degree of propelling power, together
with the greatest length of stride that is compatible with the length of
his body. Weight is not a certain criterion of a terrier's fitness for
his work — general shape, size and contour are the main points ; and if
a dog can gallop and stay, and follow his fox up a drain, it matters
little what his weight is to a pound or so, though, roughly speaking, it
may be said he should not scale over twenty pounds in show condition.
DISQUALIFYING POINTS : Nose— White, cherry, or spotted to a
considerable extent with either of these colours. EATS — prick, tulip,
or rose. Mouth — much overshot or much undershot.
In order to give some idea of the extraordinary way in which
the Fox-terrier took the public taste, it will be necessary to
hark back and give a rtsumi of the principal kennels and
exhibitors to whom this was due. In the year in which the
Fox-terrier Club was formed, Mr. Fred Burbidge, at one time
captain of the Surrey Eleven, had the principal kennels. He
was the pluckiest buyer of his day, and once he fancied a dog
nothing stopped him till it was in his kennels. He bought
Nimrod, Dorcas, Tweezers, and Nettle, and with them and
other discriminating purchases he was very hard to beat on
the show-bench. Strange to say, at this time he seemed
unable to breed a good dog, and determined to have a clear out
and start afresh. A few brood bitches only were retained, and
the kennels moved from Champion Hill to Hunton Bridge, in
Hertfordshire. From thence in a few years came Bloom,
Blossom, Tweezers II., Hunton Baron, Hunton Bridegroom,
and a host of others, which spread the fame of the great
THE SMOOTH FOX-TERRIER 207
Hunton strain. When the kennel was dispersed at Mr.
Burbidge's untimely death in 1892, the dogs, 130 lots in all,
were sold by auction and realised £1,800 ; Hunton Tartar
fetched £135, Justice £84, Bliss £jo, and Scramble £65.
Messrs. A. H. and C. Clarke were at this time quietly found-
ing a kennel, which perhaps has left its mark more indelibly
on the breed than any before or since. Brockenhurst Rally
was a most fortunate purchase from his breeder, Mr. Herbert
Peel, and was by Brockenhurst Joe from a Bitters bitch, as
from this dog came Roysterer and Ruler, their dam being
Jess, an old Turk bitch ; and from Rollick by Buff was bred
Ruse and Ransome. Roysterer was the sire of Result, by
many considered the best Fox-terrier dog of all time ; and
Result's own daughter Rachel was certainly the best bitch
of her day. All these terriers had intense quality and style,
due for the most part to inbreeding. Very little new blood
was introduced, with an inevitable result ; and by degrees
the kennel died out.
No history of the Fox-terrier could be complete without
mention of Mr. Francis Redmond and his kennel, going back,
as it does, to the Murchison and Luke Turner period, and
being still to-day the most prominent one in existence. We
can date his earlier efforts from his purchase of Deacon
Nettle, the dam of Deacon Ruby ; Dusty was the dam of
Ch. Diamond Dust ; Dickon he had from Luke Turner, and in
this dog we have one of the foundation-stones of the Fox-
terrier stud-book, as he was the sire of Splinter, who in his
turn was the sire of Vesuvian.
Mr. Redmond's next great winners were D'Orsay and
Dominie, two sterling good terriers, the former of which was the
sire of Dame D'Orsay, who, bred to Despoiler, produced Dame
Fortune, the mother of Donna Fortuna, whose other parent
was Dominie. Donna Fortuna, considered universally the
best specimen of a Fox-terrier ever produced, had from the
first a brilliant career, for though fearlessly shown on all
occasions she never knew defeat. Some took exception to
208 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
her want of what is called terrier character, and others would
have liked her a shade smaller ; but we have still to see the
Fox-terrier, taken all round, that could beat her.
As an outcross Mr. Redmond purchased Dreadnought, one
of the highest class dogs seen for many years, but had very
bad luck with him, an accident preventing him from being
shown and subsequently causing his early death. We must
not forget Duchess of Durham or Dukedom ; but to enumerate
all Mr. Redmond's winners it would be necessary to take the
catalogues of all the important shows held for the past thirty
years. To no one do we owe so much ; no one has made
such a study of the breed, reducing it almost to a science, with
the result that even outside his kennels no dog has any
chance of permanently holding his own unless he has an
ample supply of the blood.
The great opponent of the Totteridge Kennel up to some
few years ago was unquestionably Mr. Vicary, of Newton
Abbot, who laid the foundation of his kennel with Vesuvian,
who was by Splinter, out of Kohinor, and from whom came the
long line of winners, Venio-Vesuvienne, Vice-Regal, Valuator,
Visto, and Veracity. Fierce war raged round these kennels,
each having its admiring and devoted adherents, until one side
would not look at anything but a Redmond Terrier to the
exclusion of the Vicary type. The Newton Abbot strain was
remarkable for beautiful heads and great quality, but was
faulty in feet and not absolute as to fronts, each of which
properties was a sine qua non amongst the Totteridge dogs.
Latter-day breeders have recognised that in the crossing of
the two perfection lies, and Mr. Redmond himself has not
hesitated to go some way on the same road.
It is fortunate for the breed of Fox-terriers how great a
hold the hobby takes, and how enthusiastically its votaries
pursue it, otherwise we should not have amongst us men like
Mr. J. C. Tinne, whose name is now a household word in the
Fox-terrier world, as it has been any time for the past thirty
years. Close proximity, in those days, to Mr. Gibson at Brock-
FOX TERRIERS
1. MRS. J. H. BROWN'S CH. CAPTAIN DOUBLE
2. MR. J. C. TINNE'S CH. THE SYLPH
,3. MR. T. J. STEPHENS' WIRE-HAIR CH. SYLVAN RESULT
THE SMOOTH FOX-TERRIER 209
enhurst made him all the keener, and one of his first terriers
was a bitch of that blood by Bitters. With daughters of
Old Foiler he did very well — to wit, Pungent, sister to Dorcas,
while through Terror we get Banquet, the granddam of Des-
polier. He purchased from Mr. Redmond both Deacon
Diamond and Daze, each of whom was bred to Spice, and
produced respectively Auburn and Brockenhurst Dainty ;
from the latter pair sprang Lottery and Worry, the granddam
of Tom Newcome, to whom we owe Brockenhurst Agnes,
Brockenhurst Dame, and Dinah Morris, and consequently
Adam Bede and Hester Sorrel.
It has always been Mr. Tinne's principle to aim at produc-
ing the best terrier he could, irrespective of the fads of this
kennel or that, and his judgment has been amply vindicated,
as the prize lists of every large show will testify. And to-day
he is the proud possessor of Ch. The Sylph, who has beaten
every one of her sex, and is considered by many about the
best Fox-terrier ever seen.
No name is better known or more highly respected by dog
owners than that of the late Mr. J. A. Doyle, as a writer,
breeder, judge, or exhibitor of Fox-terriers. Whilst breeding
largely from his own stock, he was ever on the look-out for a
likely outcross. He laid great store on terrier character, and
was a stickler for good coats ; a point much neglected in the
present-day dog.
Amongst the smaller kennels is that of Mr. Reeks, now
mostly identified with Oxonian and that dog's produce, but
he will always be remembered as the breeder of that beautiful
terrier, Avon Minstrel. Mr. Arnold Gillett has had a good
share of fortune's favours, as the Ridgewood dogs testify ;
whilst the Messrs. Powell, Castle, Glynn, Dale, and Crosthwaite
have all written their names on the pages of Fox-terrier
history. Ladies have ever been supporters of the breed,
and no one more prominently so than Mrs. Bennett Edwards,
who through Duke of Doncaster, a son of Durham, has founded
a kennel which at times is almost invincible, and which still
o
210 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
shelters such grand terriers as Doncaster, Dominie, Dodger,
Dauphine, and many others well known to fame. Mrs. J. H.
Brown, too, as the owner of Captain Double, a terrier which
has won, and deservedly, more prizes than any Fox-terrier
now or in the past, must not be omitted.
Whether the present Fox-terrier is as good, both on the score
of utility and appearance, as his predecessors is a question
which has many times been asked, and as many times decided
in the negative as well as in the affirmative. It would be
idle to pretend that a great many of the dogs now seen on the
show bench are fitted to do the work Nature intended them
for, as irrespective of their make and shape they are so over-
sized as to preclude the possibility of going to ground in any
average sized earth.
This question of size is one that must sooner or later be
tackled in some practical way by the Fox-terrier Club, unless
we are to see a race of giants in the next few generations.
Their own standard gives 20 Ib. — a very liberal maximum ;
but there are dogs several pounds heavier constantly winning
prizes at shows, and consequently being bred from, with the
result which we see. There are many little dogs, and good
ones, to be seen, but as long as the judges favour the big ones
these hold no chance, and as it is far easier to produce a good
big one than a good little one, breeders are encouraged to use
sires who would not be looked at if a hard-and-fast line were
drawn over which no dogs should win a prize. There are
hundreds of Fox-terriers about quite as capable of doing
their work as their ancestors ever were, and there is hardly a
large kennel which has not from time to time furnished our
leading packs with one or more dogs, and with gratifying
results. It is, therefore, a great pity that our leading ex-
hibitors should often be the greatest delinquents in showing
dogs which they know in their hearts should be kept at home
or drafted altogether, and it is deplorable that some of our
oldest judges should by their awards encourage them.
Before concluding this chapter it may not be out of place to
THE SMOOTH FOX-TERRIER 211
say a few words as to the breeding and rearing of Fox
terriers.
In the first place, never breed from an animal whose pedigree
is not authenticated beyond a shadow of a doubt ; and re-
member that while like may beget like, the inevitable tendency
is to throw back to former generations. The man who elects
to breed Fox-terriers must have the bumps of patience and
hope very strongly developed, as if the tyro imagines that he
has only to mate his bitch to one of the known prize-winning
dogs of the day in order to produce a champion, he had better
try some other breed. Let him fix in his mind the ideal dog,
and set to work by patient effort and in the face of many
disappointments to produce it. It is not sufficient that,
having acquired a bitch good in all points save in head, that he
breeds her to the best-headed dog he can find. He must
satisfy himself that the head is not a chance one, but is an
inherited one, handed down from many generations, good in
this particular, and consequently potent to reproduce its
like. So in all other points that he wishes to reproduce. In
the writer's experience, little bitches with quality are the
most successful. Those having masculine characteristics
should be avoided, and the best results will be obtained from
the first three litters, after which a bitch rarely breeds anything
so good. See that your bitch is free from worms before she
goes to the dog, then feed her well, and beyond a dose of castor
oil some days before she is due to whelp, let Nature take its
course. Dose your puppies well for worms at eight weeks old,
give them practically as much as they will eat, and unlimited
exercise. Avoid the various advertised nostrums, and rely
rather on the friendly advice of some fancier or your veterin-
ary surgeon.
Take your hobby seriously, and you will be amply repaid,
even if success does not always crown your efforts, as while
the breeding of most animals is a fascinating pursuit, that of
the Fox-terrier presents many varying delights.
CHAPTER XXXIII
THE WIRE-HAIR FOX-TERRIER
THE wire-hair Fox-terrier is, with the exception of its coat,
identical with the smooth Fox-terrier — full brother in fact to
him. The two varieties are much interbred, and several
litters in consequence include representatives of both ; and
not only this, but it is quite a frequent occurrence to get a
smooth puppy from wire-hair parents, although for some
generations neither of the parents may have had any smooth
cross in their pedigrees.
The North of England and South Wales (to a lesser extent)
have ever been the home of the wire-hair, and nearly all the
best specimens have come originally from one or the other of
those districts. There is no doubt that there was excellent
stock in both places, and there is also no doubt that though
at times this was used to the best advantage, there was a good
deal of carelessness in mating, and a certain amount in re-
cording the parentage of some of the terriers. With regard
to this latter point it is said that one gentleman who had quite
a large kennel and several stud dogs, but who kept no books,
used never to bother about remembering which particular
dog he had put to a certain bitch, but generally satisfied himself
as to the sire of a puppy when it came in from " walk " by
just examining it and saying " Oh, that pup must be by
owd Jock or Jim," as the case might be, " 'cos he's so loike
'im," and down he would go on the entry form accordingly.
However this may be, there is no doubt that the sire would
be a wire-hair Fox-terrier, and, although the pedigree there-
fore may not have been quite right, the terrier was invariably
pure bred.
212
THE WIRE-HAIR FOX-TERRIER 213
In the early days the smooth was not crossed with the wire
to anything like the extent that it was later, and this fact is
probably the cause of the salvation of the variety. The wire-
hair has had more harm done to him by his being injudiciously
crossed with the smooth than probably by anything else.
The greatest care must be exercised in the matter of coat
before any such cross is effected. The smooth that is crossed
with the wire must have a really hard, and not too full coat,
and, as there are very, very few smooths now being shown with
anything like a proper coat for a terrier to possess, the very
greatest caution is necessary. Some few years back, almost
incalculable harm was done to the variety by a considerable
amount of crossing into a strain of smooths with terribly soft
flannelly coats. Good-looking terriers were produced, and
therein lay the danger, but their coats were as bad as bad could
be ; and, though people were at first too prone to look over
this very serious fault, they now seem to have recovered their
senses, and thus, although much harm was done, any serious
damage has been averted. If a person has a full-coated wire-
hair bitch he is too apt to put her to a smooth simply because
it is a smooth, whom he thinks will neutralise the length of his
bitch's jacket, but this is absolute heresy, and must not be
done unless the smooth has the very hardest of hair on him.
If it is done, the result is too horrible for words : you get an
elongated, smooth, full coat as soft as cotton wool, and some-
times as silkily wavy as a lady's hair. This is not a coat for any
terrier to possess, and it is not a wire-hair terrier's coat, which
ought to be a hard, crinkly, peculiar-looking broken coat on
top, with a dense undercoat underneath, and must never be
mistakable for an elongated smooth terrier's coat, which can
never at any time be a protection from wind, water, or dirt,
and is, in reality, the reverse.
The wire-hair has had a great advertisement, for better or
worse, in the extraordinarily prominent way he has been
mentioned in connection with " faking " and trimming.
Columns have been written on this subject, speeches of
2i4 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
inordinate length have been delivered, motions and resolutions
have been carried, rules have been promulgated, etc., etc.,
and the one dog mentioned throughout in connection with all
of them has been our poor old, much maligned wire-hair. He
has been the scapegoat, the subject of all this brilliancy and
eloquence, and were he capable of understanding the language
of the human, we may feel sure much amusement would be his.
There are several breeds that are more trimmed than the
wire-hair, and that might well be quoted before him in this
connection. There is a vast difference between legitimate
trimming, and what is called " faking." All dogs with long
or wire-hair or rough coats naturally require more attention,
and more grooming than those with short smooth coats. For
the purposes of health and cleanliness it is absolutely necess-
ary that such animals should be frequently well groomed.
There is no necessity, given a wire-hair with a good and proper
coat, to use anything but an ordinary close-toothed comb, a
good hard brush, and an occasional removal of long old hairs
on the head, ears, neck, legs, and belly, with the finger and
thumb. The Kennel Club regulations for the preparation of
dogs for exhibition are perfectly clear on this subject, and are
worded most properly. They say that a dog " shall be dis-
qualified if any part of his coat or hair has been cut, clipped,
singed, or rasped down by any substance, or if any of the new
or fast coat has been removed by pulling or plucking in any
manner," and that " no comb shall be used which has a cutting
or rasping edge." There is no law, therefore, against the
removal of old coat by finger and thumb, and anyone who
keeps long-haired dogs knows that it is essential to the dog's
health that there should be none.
It is in fact most necessary in certain cases, at certain times,
to pull old coat out in this way. Several terriers with good
coats are apt to grow long hair very thickly round the neck
and ears, and unless this is removed when it gets old, the neck
and ears are liable to become infested with objectionable
little slate-coloured nits, which will never be found as long
THE WIRE-HAIR FOX-TERRIER 215
as the coat is kept down when necessary. Bitches in whelp
and after whelping, although ordinarily good-coated, seem
to go all wrong in their coats unless properly attended to in this
way, and here again, if you wish to keep your bitch free from
skin trouble, it is a necessity, in those cases which need it, to
use finger and thumb.
If the old hair is pulled out only when it is old, there is no
difficulty about it, and no hurt whatever is occasioned to the
dog, who does not in reality object at all. If, however, new
or fast coat is pulled out it not only hurts the dog but it is
also a very foolish thing to do, and the person guilty of such
a thing fully merits disqualification.
Most of the nonsense that is heard about trimming emanates,
of course, from the ignoramus ; the knife, he says, is used on
them all, a sharp razor is run over their coats, they are singed,
they are cut, they are rasped (the latter is the favourite term).
Anything like such a sweeping condemnation is quite in-
accurate and most unfair. It is impossible to cut a hair
without being detected by a good judge, and very few people
ever do any such thing, at any rate for some months before
the terrier is exhibited, for if they do, they know they are
bound to be discovered, and, as a fact, are.
When the soft-coated dogs are clipped they are operated on,
say, two or three months before they are wanted, and the
hair gets a chance to grow, but even then it is easily discernible,
and anyone who, like the writer, has any experience of clipping
dogs in order to cure them of that awful disease, follicular
mange, knows what a sight the animal is when he grows his
coat, and how terribly unnatural he looks.
The wire-hair has never been in better state than he is
to-day ; he is, generally speaking, far ahead of his prede-
cessors of twenty-five years ago, not only from a show point of
view, but also in working qualities. One has only to com-
pare the old portraits of specimens of the variety with dogs of
the present day to see this. A good many individual speci-
mens of excellent merit, it is true, there were, but they do not
216 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
seem to have been immortalised in this way. The portraits
of those we do see are mostly representations of awful-looking
brutes, as bad in shoulders, and light of bone, as they could be ;
they appear also to have had very soft coats, somewhat akin
to that we see on a Pomeranian nowadays, though it is true
this latter fault may have been that of the artist, or probably
amplified by him.
Perhaps the strongest kennel of wire-hairs that has existed
was that owned a good many years ago by Messrs. Maxwell
and Cassell. Several champions were in the kennel at the
same time, and they were a sorty lot of nice size, and won
prizes all over the country. Jack Frost, Jacks Again, Liffey,
Barton Wonder, Barton Marvel, and several other good ones,
were inmates of this kennel, the two latter especially being
high-class terriers, which at one time were owned by Sir H.
de Trafford. Barton Marvel was a very beautiful bitch,
and probably the best of those named above, though Barton
Wonder was frequently put above her. Sir H. de Trafford
had for years a very good kennel of the variety, and at that
time was probably the biggest and best buyer.
Mr. Carrick, of Carlisle, was also a prominent owner years
ago, and showed some excellent terriers, the best being Carlisle
Tack, Trick, and Tyro. The latter was an exceptionally
good dog.
Mr. Sam Hill, of Sheffield, had also a strong kennel, always
well shown by George Porter, who is now, and has been for
some years, in America, where he still follows his old love.
Mr. Hill's name will ever be associated with that of his great
dog Meersbrook Bristles, who has undoubtedly done the breed
a great amount of good. Mr. Mayhew is another old fancier,
who nearly always showed a good one. Mr. Mayhew has been
in America now for many years. One dog of his, who it is
believed became a champion, viz. Brittle, did at one time a
big business at stud, perhaps not to the advantage of the
breed, for he was possessed of a very bad fault, in that he had
what was called a topknot ring, a bunch of soft silky hairs
THE WIRE-HAIR FOX-TERRIER 217
on his forehead, an unfailing sign of a soft coat all over, and a
thing which breeders should studiously avoid. This topknot
was at one time more prevalent than it is now. Whether it
is a coincidence or not one cannot say, but it is a fact that in
the writer's experience several terriers possessed of this fault
have also blue markings, which again are almost invariably
accompanied by a soft coat, and taking these two peculiarities
together it would seem that at some time, years ago, a cross
with that wonderfully game but exceedingly soft-coated
terrier, the Bedlington, may have been resorted to, though if
so it would appear that nowadays any effect of it is gradually
dying out.
Mr. George Raper is one of the old fanciers who has for
many years owned some of the best specimens of the variety,
Ch. Go Bang perhaps being the most notable. Go Bang was
a beautiful terrier ; there was no denying his quality. Mr.
Raper sold him to Mr. G. M. Carnochan, of New York, for
something like £500, probably the biggest price that has ever
been pajd for any Fox-terrier. Mr. Hayward Field is another
gentleman who has been exhibiting the breed for very many
years, and has owned several good terriers. The late Mr.
Clear had also at one time a strong kennel, the best of which by
a long way was Ch. Jack St. Leger.
Mr. Wharton was a well-known exhibitor and judge some
time back. It was he who owned that excellent little terrier
Ch. Bushey Broom, who created quite a furore when first
exhibited at the Westminster Aquarium.
Mr. Harding Cox was years ago a great supporter of the
variety. He exhibited with varying success, and was always
much in request as a judge ; one knew in entering under him
that he wanted firstly a terrier, and further that the terrier
had to be sound. Mr. Cox has of course played a big part in
the popularisation of the Fox-terrier, for, as all the world
knows, he was the instigator of the Fox-terrier Club, it being
founded at a meeting held at his house. His love has ever
been for the small terrier, and certainly the specimens shown
218 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
by him, whatever their individual faults, were invariably
a sporting, game-looking lot. Mr. Sidney Castle has for many
years shown wire-hair Fox-terriers of more than average merit ;
and thoroughly understands the variety, indeed, perhaps as
well as anybody. Messrs. Bartle, Brumby Mutter, G. Welch,
and S. Wilson, are all old fanciers who have great experience,
have bred and shown excellent specimens.
In mentioning the names of celebrated men and terriers
of years gone by, reference must be made to a terrier shown
some time ago, which was as good, taken all round, as any
that have so far appeared. This was Ch. Quantock Nettle,
afterwards purchased by a gentleman in Wales and renamed
Lexden Nettle. Of correct size, with marvellous character,
an excellent jacket and very takingly marked with badger
tan and black on a wonderful head and ears, this bitch swept
the board, as they say, and unquestionably rightly so.
No article on the wire-hair Fox-terrier would be complete
without mentioning the name of the late Mr. S. E. Shirley,
President of the Kennel Club. Mr. Shirley was a successful
exhibitor in the early days of the variety, and while his
terriers were a good-looking lot, though not up to the show
form of to-day, they were invariably hard-bitten, game dogs,
kept chiefly for work.
On the question of size nearly all the principal judges of
the Fox-terrier are agreed. Their maxim is " a good little
one can always beat a good big one." The difficulty arises
when the little ones are no good, and the big ones are excel-
lent ; it is a somewhat common occurrence, and to anyone
who loves a truly formed dog, and who knows what a truly
formed dog can do, it is an extremely difficult thing to put
the little above the larger. All big dogs with properly placed
shoulders and sound formation are better terriers for work of
any sort than dogs half their size, short on the leg, but bad
in these points. It is in reality impossible to make an inexor-
able rule about this question of size ; each class must be
judged on its own merits.
CHAPTER XXXIV
THE AIREDALE TERRIER
THERE is perhaps no breed of dog that in so short a time has
been improved so much as the Airedale. He is now a very
beautiful animal, whereas but a few years back, although
maybe there were a few fairly nice specimens, by far the greater
number were certainly the reverse of this.
In place of the shaggy, soft-coated, ugly-coloured brute
with large hound ears and big full eyes, we have now a very
handsome creature, possessing all the points that go to make
a really first-class terrier of taking colour, symmetrical build,
full of character and " go," amply justifying — in looks, at
any rate — its existence as a terrier.
Whether it is common sense to call a dog weighing 40 Ib.
to 50 Ib. a terrier is a question that one often hears discussed.
The fact remains the dog is a terrier — a sort of glorified edition
of what we understand by the word, it is true, but in points,
looks, and character, a terrier nevertheless, and it is impossible
otherwise to classify him.
People will ask : " How can he be a terrier ? Why he is
an outrage on the very word, which can only mean a dog to
go to ground ; and to what animal in the country of his birth
can an Airedale go to ground ? " Above ground and in water,
however, an Airedale can, and does, perform in a very excellent
manner everything that any other terrier can do. As a water
dog he is, of course, in his element ; for work on land requiring
a hard, strong, fast and resolute terrier he is, needless to say,
of great value ; and he is said to be also, when trained — as can
easily be imagined when one considers his power of scent, his
219
220 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
strength, sagacity, and speed — a most excellent gun-dog. He
is, in fact, a general utility dog, for add to the above-mentioned
qualities those of probably an incomparable guard and a
most excellent companion, faithful and true, and ask yourself
what do you want more, and what breed of dog, taken all
round, can beat him ?
The Airedale is not of ancient origin. He was probably first
heard of about the year 1850. He is undoubtedly the product
of the Otterhound and the old Black and Tan wire-haired
terrier referred to in the chapters on the wire-hair Fox and the
Welsh Terriers. When one considers the magnificent noble-
ness, the great sagacity, courage, and stateliness of the Otter-
hound, the great gameness, cheek, and pertinacity of the old
Black and Tan wire-hair, such a cross must surely produce an
animal of excellent type and character.
Yorkshire, more especially that part of it round and about
the town of Otley, is responsible for the birth of the Airedale.
The inhabitants of the country of broad acres are, and always
have been, exceedingly fond of any kind of sport — as,
indeed, may also be said of their brothers of the Red Rose —
but if in connection with that sport a dog has to be introduced,
then indeed are they doubly blessed, for they have no compeers
at the game.
Otter-hunting was formerly much indulged in by the people
living in the dales of the Aire and the Wharfe, and not only were
packs of Otterhounds kept, but many sportsmen maintained
on their own account a few hounds for their personal delecta-
tion. These hounds were no doubt in some instances a non-
descript lot, as, indeed, are several of the packs hunting the
otter to-day, but there was unquestionably a good deal of
Otterhound blood in them, and some pure bred hounds were
also to be found. Yorkshire also has always been the great
home of the terrier. Fox-terriers, as we now know them, had
at this time hardly been seen. The terrier in existence then
was the Black and Tan wire-hair, a hardy game terrier, a great
workman on land or in water.
THE AIREDALE TERRIER 221
Whether by design or accident is not known, but the fact
remains that in or about the year mentioned a cross took place
between these same hounds and terriers. It was found that
a handier dog was produced for the business for which he was
required, and it did not take many years to populate the district
with these terrier-hounds, which soon came to be recognised
as a distinct breed. The Waterside Terrier was the name first
vouchsafed to the new variety. After this they went by the
name of Bingley Terriers, and eventually they came to be
known under their present appellation.
The specimens of the Airedale which were first produced
were not of very handsome appearance, being what would now
be called bad in colour, very shaggy coated, and naturally
big and ugly in ear. It, of course, took some time to breed
the hound out at all satisfactorily ; some authorities tell us
that for this purpose the common fighting pit Bull-terrier
and also the Irish Terrier were used, the latter to a considerable
extent ; and whether this is correct or not there is no doubt
that there would also be many crosses back again into the
small Black and Tan Terrier, primarily responsible for his
existence.
In about twenty years' time, the breed seems to have
settled down and become thoroughly recognised as a variety
of the terrier. It was not, however, for some ten years after
this that classes were given for the breed at any representative
show. In 1883 the committee of the National Show at Birm-
ingham included three classes for Airedales in their schedule,
which were fairly well supported ; and three years after this
recognition was given to the breed in the stud-book of the ruling
authority.
From this time on the breed prospered pretty well ; several
very good terriers were bred, the hound gradually almost
disappeared, as also did to a great extent the bad-coloured
ones. The best example amongst the early shown dogs was
undoubtedly Newbold Test, who had a long and very success-
ful career. This dog excelled in terrier character, and he was
222 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
sound all over ; his advent was opportune — he was just the
dog that was wanted, and there is no doubt he did the breed
a great amount of good.
A dog called Colne Crack, who was a beautiful little terriers
was another of the early shown ones by whom the breed has
lostjiothing, and two other terriers whose names are much
revered by lovers of the breed are Cholmondeley Briar and
Briar Test.
Some years ago, when the breed was in the stage referred to
above, a club was formed to look after its interests, and there
is no doubt that though perhaps phenomenal success did not
attend its efforts, it did its best, and forms a valuable link in the
chain of popularity of the Airedale. It was at best apparently
a sleepy sort of concern, and never seems to have attracted
new fanciers. Some dozen or so years ago, however, a club, des-
tined not only to make a great name for itself, but also to do
a thousandfold more good to the breed it espouses than ever
the old club did, was formed under the name of the South of
England Airedale Terrier Club, and a marvellously successful
and popular life it has so far lived. The younger club was in
no way an antagonist of the older one, and it has ever been
careful that it should not be looked upon in any way as such.
The old club has, however, been quite overshadowed by the
younger, which, whether it wishes it or not, is now looked upon
as the leading society in connection with the breed.
At a meeting of the first club — which went by the name of
the Airedale Terrier Club — held in Manchester some eighteen
or twenty years ago, the following standard of perfection
and scale of points was drawn up and adopted : —
Head — Long, with flat skull, but not too broad between the ears,
narrowing slightly to the eyes, free from wrinkle ; stop hardly visible,
and cheeks free from fullness ; jaw deep and powerful, well filled up
before the eyes ; lips light ; ears V-shaped with a side carriage, small
but not out of proportion to the size of the dog ; the nose black ; the
eyes small and dark in colour, not prominent, and full of terrier ex-
pression ; the teeth strong and level. The neck should be of moderate
length and thickness, gradually widening towards the shoulders and
free from throatiness. Shoulders and Chest — Shoulders long and sloping
THE AIREDALE TERRIER 223
well into the back, shoulder-blades flat, chest deep, but not broad.
Body — Back short, strong and straight ; ribs well sprung. Hind-
quarters— Strong and muscular, with no drop ; hocks well let down ;
the tail set on high and carried gaily, but not curled over the back.
Legs and Feet — Legs perfectly straight, with plenty of bone ; feet
small and round with good depth of pad. Coat — Hard and wiry, and
not so long as to appear ragged ; it should also be straight and close,
covering the dog well over the body and legs. Colour — The head and
ears, with the exception of dark markings on each side of the skull,
should be tan, the ears being a darker shade than the rest, the legs up
to the thigh and elbows being also tan, the body black or dark grizzle.
Weight— Dogs 40 Ib. to 45 lb., bitches slightly less.
At the time of the formation of the Southern club the
state of the Airedale was critical ; possessed of perhaps
unequalled natural advantages, lovely dog as he is, he had not
made that progress that he should have done. He had not
been boomed in any way, and had been crawling when he
should have galloped. From the moment the new club was
formed, however, the Airedale had a new lease of life. Mr.
Holland Buckley and other keen enthusiasts seem to have
recognised to a nicety exactly what was required to give
a necessary fillip to the breed ; they appear also to have
founded their club at the right moment, and to have offered
such an attractive bill of fare, that not only did everyone in
the south who had anything to do with Airedales join at once,
but very shortly a host of new fanciers was enrolled, and
crowds of people began to take the breed up who had had
nothing to do with it, or, indeed, any other sort of dog
previously.
Some few years after the foundation of this club, a junior
branch of it was started, and this, ably looked after by Mr. R.
Lauder McLaren, is almost as big a success in its way as is
the parent institution. Other clubs have been started in the
north and elsewhere, and altogether the Airedale is very
well catered for in this respect, and, if things go on as they are
now going, is bound to prosper and become even more exten-
sively owned than he is at present. To Mr. Holland Buckley,
Mr. G. H. Elder, Mr. Royston Mills, and Mr. Marshall Lee,
the Airedale of the present day owes much.
224 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
The Airedales that have struck the writer as the best he
has come across are Master Briar, Clonmel Monarch, Clonmel
Marvel, Dumbarton Lass, Tone Masterpiece, Mistress Royal,
Master Royal, Tone Chief, Huckleberry Lass, Fielden Fashion,
York Sceptre and Clonmel Floriform. Nearly every one of
these is now, either in the flesh or spirit, in the United States
or Canada.
In all probability, the person who knows more about this
terrier than anyone living is Mr. Holland Buckley. He has
written a most entertaining book on the Airedale ; he has
founded the principal club in connection with the breed ; he
has produced several very excellent specimens, and it goes
without saying that he is — when he can be induced to " take
the ring " — a first-rate judge. Mr. Buckley has frequently
told the writer that in his opinion one of the best terriers he
has seen was the aforesaid Clonmel Floriform, but, as this
dog was sold for a big price very early in his career, the writer
never saw him.
Most of the articles that have been written on the Airedale
have come from the pen of Mr. Buckley, and therefore but
modest reference is made to the man who has worked so
whole-heartedly, so well, and so successfully in the interests
of the breed he loves. It would be ungenerous and unfair
in any article on the Airedale, written by anyone but Mr.
Buckley, if conspicuous reference were not made to the great
power this gentleman has been, and to the great good that he
has done.
The Airedale is such a beautiful specimen of the canine
race, and is, in reality, in such healthy state, that every one of
his admirers — and they are legion — is naturally jealous for
his welfare, and is wishful that all shall go well with him.
It is gratifying to state that he has never been the tool of
faction, though at one time he was doubtless near the brink ;
but this was some time ago, and it would be a grievous pity
if he ever again became in jeopardy of feeling the baneful
influence of any such curse.
THE AIREDALE TERRIER 225
There is one serious matter in connection with him, however,
and that is the laxity displayed by some judges of the breed
in giving prizes to dogs shown in a condition, with regard to
their coats, which ought to disentitle them to take a prize
in any company. Shockingly badly-trimmed shoulders are
becoming quite a common thing to see in Airedales. There
is no necessity for this sort of thing ; it is very foolish, and it
is impossible to imagine anything more likely to do harm to a
breed than that the idea should get abroad that this is the
general practice in connection with it.
CHAPTER XXXV
THE BEDLINGTON TERRIER
THIS games! of all the terriers has been known as a distinct
and thoroughly British breed for over a century, which is,
I think, a fairly ancient lineage. There are various theories
as to its original parentage, but the one which holds that he
was the result of a cross between the Otterhound and the
Dandie Dinmont suggests itself to me as the most probable
one. His characteristics strongly resemble in many points
both these breeds, and there can be but little doubt of his
near relationship at some time or other to the Dandie.
The earliest authentic record we have of the Bedlington
was a dog named Old Flint, who belonged to Squire Trevelyan,
and was whelped in 1782. The pedigree of Mr. William
Clark's Scamp, a dog well known about 1792, is traced back
to Old Flint, and the descendants of Scamp were traced in
direct line from 1792 to 1873.
A mason named Joseph Aynsley has the credit for giving
the name of " Bedlington " to this terrier in 1825. It was
previously known as the Rothbury Terrier, or the Northern
Counties Fox-terrier. Mr. Thomas J. Pickett, of Newcastle-
on-Tyne, was perhaps the earliest supporter of the breed on a
large scale, and his Tynedale and Tyneside in especial have
left their names in the history of the Bedlington.
The present day Bedlington, like a good many other
terriers, has become taller and heavier than the old day
specimens. This no doubt is due to breeding for show points.
He is a lathy dog, but not shelly, inclined to be flatsided,
somewhat light in bone for his size, very lively in character,
226
THE BEDLINGTON TERRIER 227
and has plenty of courage. If anything, indeed, his pluck is
too insistent.
The standard of points as adopted by the National Bedling-
ton Terrier and The Yorkshire Bedlington Terrier Clubs is as
follows : —
Skull — Narrow, but deep and rounded ; high at the occiput, and
covered with a nice silky tuft or topknot. Muzzle — Long, tapering,
sharp and muscular, as little stop as possible between the eyes, so as
to form nearly a line from the nose-end along the joint of skull to the
occiput. The lips close fitting and without flew. Eyes — Should be
small and well sunk in the head. The blues should have a dark eye,
the blues and tans ditto, with amber shades ; livers and sandies, a
light brown eye. Nose — Large, well angled ; blues and blues and tans
should have black noses, livers and sandies flesh-coloured. Teeth —
Level or pincher-jawed. Ears — Moderately large, well formed, flat
to the cheek, thinly covered and tipped with fine silky hair. They
should be filbert shaped. Legs — Of moderate length, not wide apart,
straight and square set, and with good-sized feet, which are rather long.
Tail — Thick at the root, tapering to a point, slightly feathered on
lower side, 9 inches to 11 inches long and scimitar shaped. Neck and
Shoulders — Neck long, deep at base, rising well from the shoulders,
which should be flat. Body — Long and well-proportioned, flat ribbed,
and deep, not wide in chest, slightly arched back, well ribbed up, with
light quarters. Coat — Hard, with close bottom, and not lying flat to
sides. Colour — Dark blue, blue and tan, liver, liver and tan, sandy,
or sandy and tan. Height — About 15 inches to 16 inches. Weight —
Dogs about 24 pounds ; bitches about 22 pounds. General Appearance
— He is a light-made, lathy dog, but not shelly.
There is a tendency nowadays towards excess of size in
the Bedlington. It is inclined to be too long in the body and
too leggy, which, if not checked, will spoil the type of the
breed. It is, therefore, very important that size should be
more studied by judges than is at present the case. The faults
referred to are doubtless the result of breeding for exception-
ally long heads, which seem to be the craze just now, and, of
course, one cannot get extra long heads without proportion-
ately long bodies and large size. If it were possible to do so,
then the dog would become a mere caricature.
As a sporting terrier the Bedlington holds a position in the
first rank. He is very fast and enduring, and exceedingly
pertinacious, and is equally at home on land and in water.
He will work an otter, draw a badger, or bolt a fox, and he has
228 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
no superior at killing rats and all kinds of vermin. He has
an exceptionally fine nose, and makes a very useful dog for
rough shooting, being easily taught to retrieve. If he has
any fault at all, it is that he is of too jealous a disposition,
which renders it almost impossible to work him with other
dogs, as he wants all the fun to himself, and if he cannot get it
he will fight for it. But by himself he is perfect. As a com-
panion he is peculiarly affectionate and faithful, and remark-
ably intelligent ; he makes a capital house-dog, is a good guard
and is very safe with children.
Bedlingtons are not dainty feeders, as most writers have
asserted, nor are they tender dogs. If they are kept in good
condition and get plenty of exercise they feed as well as any
others, and are as hard as nails if not pampered. They are
easy to breed and rear, and the bitches make excellent mothers.
If trained when young they are very obedient, and their
tendency to fight can in a great measure be cured when they
are puppies ; but, if not checked then, it cannot be done
afterwards. Once they take to fighting nothing will keep them
from it, and instead of being pleasurable companions they
become positive nuisances. On the other hand, if properly
broken they give very little trouble, and will not quarrel
unless set upon.
CHAPTER XXXVI
THE IRISH TERRIER
THE dare-devil Irish Terrier has most certainly made his
home in our bosom. There is no breed of dog more genuinely
loved by those who have sufficient experience and knowledge
to make the comparison. Other dogs have a larger share
of innate wisdom, others are most aesthetically beautiful,
others more peaceable ; but our rufous friend has a way of
winning into his owner's heart and making there an abiding
place which is all the more secure because it is gained by
sincere and undemonstrative devotion. Perhaps one likes
him equally for his faults as for his merits. His very failings
are due to his soldierly faithfulness and loyalty, to his too
ardent vigilance in guarding the threshold, to his officious
belligerence towards other canines who offend his sense of
proprietorship in his master. ^ His particular stature may have
some influence in his success as a chum. He is just|tall
enough to rest his chin upon one's knee and look up with all
his soul into one's eyes. Whatever be the secret of his
attraction 'tis certain that he has the Hibernian art of com-
pelling affection and forgiveness, and that he makes one
value him, not for the beauty of his ruddy raiment, the
straightness of his fore-legs, the set of his eye and ear, the
levelness of his back, or his ability to win prizes, but rather
for his true and trusty heart, that exacts no return and
seeks no recompense. He may be but an indifferent specimen
of his kind, taken in as a stranger at the gates ; but when
at length the inevitable time arrives, as it does all too soon in
canine nature, one then discovers how surely one has been
harbouring an angel unawares.
229
23o DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
Statistics would probably show that in numbers the Fox-
terrier justifies the reputation of being a more popular breed,
and the Scottish Terrier is no doubt a formidable competitor
for public esteem. It is safe, however, to say that the Irish
Terrier shares with these the distinction of being one of the
three most popular terriers in the British Isles.
This fact taken into consideration, it is interesting to reflect
that thirty years ago the " Dare-Devil " was virtually unknown
in England. Idstone, in his book on dogs, published in 1872
did not give a word of mention to the breed, and dog shows
had been instituted sixteen years before a class was opened for
the Irish Terrier. The dog existed, of course, in its native
land. It may indeed be almost truthfully said to have existed
" as long as that country has been an island."
About the year 1875, experts were in dispute over the Irish
Terrier, and many averred that his rough coat and length of
hair on forehead and muzzle were indubitable proof of Scotch
blood. His very expression, they said, was Scotch. But
the argument was quelled by more knowing disputants on the
other side, who claimed that Ireland had never been without
her terrier, and that she owed no manner of indebtedness to
Scotland for a dog whose every hair was essentially Irish.
In the same year at a show held in Belfast a goodly number
of the breed were brought together, notable among them
being Mr. D. O'Connell's Slasher, a very good-looking wire-
coated working terrier, who is said to have excelled as a field
and water dog. Slasher was lint white in colour, and reputed
to be descended from a pure white strain. Two other terriers
of the time were Mr. Morton's Fly (the first Irish Terrier to
gain a championship) and Mr. George Jamison's Sport.
The prominent Irish Terriers of the 'seventies varied con-
siderably in type. Stinger, who won the first prize at Lisburn
in 1875, was long-backed and short-legged, with a " dark
blue grizzle coloured back, tan legs, and white turned-out
feet." The dam of Mr. Burke's Killeney Boy was a rough
black and tan, a combination of colours which was believed to
THE IRISH TERRIER 231
accompany the best class of coats. Brindles were not un-
common. Some were tall on the leg, some short ; some were
lanky and others cobby; many were very small. There
were classes given at a Dublin show in 1874 for Irish Terriers
under 9 Ib. weight.
Jamison's Sport is an important dog historically, for various
reasons. He was undoubtedly more akin to our present type
than any other Irish Terrier of his time of which there is
record. His dark ears were uncropped at a period when cropp-
ing was general ; his weight approximated to our modern
average. He was an all coloured red, and his legs were of a
length that would not now be seriously objected to. But in
his day he was not accepted as typical, and he was not
particularly successful in the show ring. The distinguished
terrier of his era was Burke 's Killeney Boy, to whom,
and to Mr. W. Graham's bitch Erin, with whom he was
mated, nearly all the pedigrees of the best Irish Terriers
of to-day date back. Erin was said to be superior in all
respects to any of her breed previous to 1880. In her first
litter by Killeney Boy were Play Boy, Pretty Lass, Poppy,
Gerald, Pagan II., and Peggy, every one of whom became
famous. More than one of these showed the black markings of
their granddam, and their progeny for several generations
were apt to throw back to the black-and-tan, grey, or brindle
colouring. Play Boy and Poppy were the best of Erin's first
litter. The dog's beautiful ears, which were left as Nature
made them, were transmitted to his son Bogie Rattler, who
was sire of Bachelor and Benedict, the latter the most successful
stud dog of his time. Poppy had a rich red coat, and this
colour recurred with fair regularity in her descendants. Red,
which had not at first been greatly appreciated, came gradu-
ally to be the accepted colour of an Irish Terrier's jacket.
Occasionally it tended towards flaxen ; occasionally to a deep
rich auburn ; but the black and brindle were so rigidly bred
out that by the year 1890, or thereabout, they very seldom
recurred. Nowadays it is not often that any other colour
232 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
than red is seen in a litter of Irish Terriers, although a white
patch on the breast is frequent, as it is in all self-coloured
breeds.
In addition to the early celebrities already named, Extreme
Carelessness, Michael, Brickbat, Poppy II., Moya Doolan,
Straight Tip, and Gaelic have taken their places in the records
of the breed, while yet more recent Irish Terriers who have
achieved fame have been Mrs. Butcher's Bawn Boy and Bawn
Beauty, Mr. Wallace's Treasurer, Mr. S. Wilson's Bolton
Woods Mixer, Dr. Smyth's Sarah Kidd, and Mr. C. J. Barnett's
Breda Muddler.
Naturally in the case of a breed which has departed from its
original type, discussions were frequent before a standard of
perfection for the Irish Terrier was fixed. His size and weight,
the length or shortness of his limbs, the carriage of his tail, the
form of his skull and muzzle, the colour and texture of his
coat were the subjects of controversy. It was considered at
one juncture that he was being bred too big, and at another
that he was being brought too much to resemble a red wire-
hair Fox-terrier. When once the black marking on his body
had been eliminated no one seems to have desired that it
should be restored. Red was acknowledged to be the one
and only colour for an Irish Terrier. But some held that
the correct red should be deep auburn, and others that
wheaten colour was the tone to be aimed at. A medium
shade between the two extremes is now generally preferred.
As to size, it should be about midway between that of the
Airedale and the Fox-terrier, represented by a weight of from
22 to 27 Ib.
The two breeds just mentioned are, as a rule, superior to
the Irish Terrier in front legs, and feet, but in the direction
of these points great improvements have recently been ob-
servable. The heads of our Irish Terriers have also been
brought nearer to a level of perfection, chiselled to the desired
degree of leanness, with the determined expression so character-
istic of the breed, and with the length, squareness, and strength
THE IRISH TERRIER 233
of muzzle which formerly were so difficult to find. This
squareness of head and jaw is an important point to be
considered when choosing an Irish Terrier.
Opinions differ in regard to slight details of this terrier's
conformation, but the official description, issued by the
Irish Terrier Club, supplies a guide upon which the uncertain
novice may implicitly depend : —
Head — Long ; skull flat, and rather narrow between ears, getting
slightly narrower towards the eye ; free from wrinkles ; stop hardly
visible except in profile. The jaw must be strong and muscular, but
not too full in the cheek, and of a good punishing length. There should
be a slight falling away below the eye, so as not to have a Greyhound
appearance. Hair on face of same description as on body, but short
(about a quarter of an inch long), in appearance almost smooth and
straight ; a slight beard is the only longish hair (and it is only long in
comparison with the rest) that is permissible, and this is characteristic.
Teeth — Should be strong and level. Lips — Not so tight as a Bull-
terrier's, but well-fitting, showing through the hair their black lining.
Nose — Must be black. Eyes — A dark hazel colour, small, not promi-
nent, and full of life, fire, and intelligence. Ears — Small and V-shaped,
of moderate thickness, set well on the head, and dropping forward
closely to the cheek. The ear must be free of fringe, and the hair
thereon shorter and darker in colour than the body. Neck — Should be
of a fair length, and gradually widening towards the shoulders, well
carried, and free of throatiness. There is generally a slight sort of frill
visible at each side of the neck, running nearly to the corner of the ear.
Shoulders and Chest — Shoulders must be fine, long, and sloping well
into the back ; the chest deep and muscular, but neither full nor
wide. Back and Loin — Body moderately long; back should be strong
and straight, with no appearance of slackness behind the shoulders ;
the loin broad and powerful, and slightly arched ; ribs fairly sprung,
rather deep than round, and well ribbed back. Hind-quarters —
Should be strong and muscular, thighs powerful, hocks near ground,
stifles moderately bent. Stern — Generally docked ; should be free
of fringe or feather, but well covered with rough hair, set on pretty
high, carried gaily, but not over the back or curled. Feet and Legs —
Feet should be strong, tolerably round, and moderately small ; toes
arched, and neither turned out nor in ; black toe nails most desirable.
Legs moderately long, well set from the shoulders, perfectly straight,
-with plenty of bone and muscle ; the elbows working freely clear of
the sides ; pasterns short and straight, hardly noticeable. Both
fore and hind legs should be moved straight forward when travelling,
the stifles not turned outwards, the legs free of feather, and covered,
like the head, with as hard a texture of coat as body, but not so long.
Coat — Hard and wiry, free of softness or silkiness, not so long as to hide
the outlines of the body, particularly in the hind-quarters, straight and
flat, no shagginess, and free of lock or curl. Colour — Should be " whole-
coloured," the most preferable being bright red, red, wheaten, or yellow
234 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
red. White sometimes appears on chest and feet ; it is more ob
jectionable on the latter than on the chest, as a speck of white on chest
is frequently to be seen in all self-coloured breeds. Size and Symmetry
— The most desirable weight in show condition is, for a dog 24 lb., and
for a bitch 22 lb. The dog must present an active, lively, lithe, and
wiry appearance ; lots of substance, at the same time free of clumsiness,
as speed and endurance, as well as power, are very essential. They
must be neither cloddy or cobby, but should be framed on the lines of
speed, showing a graceful racing outline. Temperament — Dogs that
are very game are usually surly or snappish. The Irish Terrier as
a breed is an exception, being remarkably good-tempered, notably
so with mankind, it being admitted, however, that he is perhaps a little
too ready to resent interference on the part of other dogs. There is a
heedless, reckless pluck about the Irish Terrier which is characteristic.
and, coupled with the headlong dash, blind to all consequences, with
which he rushes at his adversary, has earned for the breed the proud
epithet of " The Dare-Devils." When " off-duty " they are char-
acterised by a quiet, caress-inviting appearance, and when one sees
them endearingly, timidly pushing their heads into their masters' hands,
it is difficult to realise that on occasions, at the " set on/' they can
prove they have the courage of a lion, and will fight unto the last
breath In their bodies. They develop an extraordinary devotion to
and have been known to track their masters almost incredible
distances.
It is difficult to refer to particular Irish Terriers of to-day
without making invidious distinctions. There are so many
excellent examples of the breed that a list even of those who
have gained championship honours would be formidable.
But one would hardly hesitate to head the list with the name
of Paymaster, a dog of rare and almost superlative quality
and true Irish Terrier character. Paymaster is the property
of Miss Lilian Paull, of Weston-super-Mare, who bred him
from her beautiful bitch Erasmic from Breda Muddler, the sire
of many of the best. Side by side with Paymaster, Mr. F.
Clifton's Mile End Barrister might be placed. It would need
a council of perfection, indeed, to decide which is the better
dog of the two. Very high in the list, also, would come Mr.
Henry Ridley's Redeemer and Mr. Breakell's Killarney Sport.
And among bitches one would name certainly Mr. Gregg's
Belfast Erin, Mr. Clifton's Charwoman, Mr. Everill's Erminie,
and Mr. J. S. McComb's Beeston Betty. These are but half
a dozen, but they represent the highest level of excellence
THE IRISH TERRIER 235
that has yet been achieved by scientific breeding in Irish
Terrier type.
Breeding up to the standard of excellence necessary in
competition in dog shows has doubtless been the agent which
has brought the Irish Terrier to its present condition of per-
fection, and it is the means by which the general dog owning
public is most surely educated to a practical knowledge of
what is a desirable and what an undesirable dog to possess.
But, after all, success in the show ring is not the one and only
thing to be aimed at, and the Irish Terrier is not to be regarded
merely as the possible winner of prizes. He is above all things
a dog for man's companionship, and in this capacity he takes
a favoured place. He has the great advantage of being equally
suitable for town and country life. In the home he requires
no pampering ; he has a good, hardy constitution, and when
once he has got over the ills incidental to puppyhood —
worms and distemper — he needs only to be judiciously fed,
kept reasonably clean, and to have his fill of active exercise.
If he is taught to be obedient and of gentlemanly habit, there
is no better house dog. He is naturally intelligent and easily
trained. Although he is always ready to take his own part,
he is not quarrelsome, but remarkably good-tempered and a
safe associate of children. Perhaps with his boisterous spirits
he is prone sometimes to be over-zealous in the pursuit
of trespassing tabbies and in assailing the ankles of intruding
butcher boys and officious postmen. These characteristics
come from his sense of duty, which is strongly developed,
and careful training will make him discriminative in his
assaults.
Very justly is he classed among the sporting dogs. He is a
born sportsman, and of his pluck it were superfluous to speak.
Fear is unknown to him. In this characteristic as in all others,,
he is truly a son of Erin.
CHAPTER XXXVII
THE WELSH TERRIER
THIS breed is near akin to the wire-hair Fox-terrier, the
principal differences being merely of colour and type. The
Welsh Terrier is a wire-haired black or grizzle and tan. The
most taking colouring is a jet black body and back with deep
tan head, ears, legs, belly, and tail. Several specimens have,
however, black foreheads, skulls, ears, and tail, and the
black will frequently be seen also extending for a short way
down the legs. There must be no black, however, below the
hock, and there must be no substantial amount of white any-
where ; a dog possessing either of these faults is, according
to the recognised standard of the breed, disqualified. Many
of the most successful bench winners have, nevertheless,
been possessed of a little white on the chest and even a few
hairs of that colour on their hind toes, and, apparently, by
the common consent of all the judges of the breed, they have
been in nowise handicapped for these blemishes.
There are not so many grizzle coloured Welsh Terriers now
as there used to be. A grizzle and tan never looks so smart
as a black and tan ; but though this is so, if the grizzle is
of a dark hard colour, its owner should not be handicapped as
against a black and tan ; if, on the contrary, it is a washed-
out, bluish-looking grizzle, a judge is entitled to handicap its
possessor, apart altogether from the fact that any such colour
on the back is invariably accompanied by an objectionable
light tan on the legs, the whole being a certain sign of a soft,
silky, unterrierlike coat.
The coat of the Welsh Terrier slightly differs from that of the
Avire-hair Fox-terrier in that it is, as a rule, not so abundant,
236
THE WELSH TERRIER 237
and is, in reality, a different class of coat. It is not so broken
as is that of the Fox-terrier, and is generally a smoother,
shorter coat, with the hairs very close together. When
accompanied with this there is a dense undercoat, one has,
for a terrier used to work a good deal in water, an ideal cover-
ing, as waterproof almost as the feathers on a duck's back.
The other difference between the Fox and Welsh Terrier — viz.,
type — is very hard to define. To anyone who really under-
stands Welsh Terriers, the selection of those of proper type
from those of wrong type presents little if any difficulty.
As a show-bench exhibit the Welsh Terrier is not more
than twenty- two years old. He has, however, resided in
Wales for centuries.
There is no doubt that he is in reality identical with the
old black and tan wire-haired dog which was England's first
terrier, and which has taken such a prominent part in the
production and evolution of all the other varieties of the
sporting terrier.
There are several people living in or about Carnarvonshire
who can show that Welsh Terriers have been kept by their
ancestors from, at any rate, a hundred to two hundred years
ago. Notable among these is the present master of the Ynysfor
Otterhounds, whose great grandfather, John Jones, of Ynys-
for, owned Welsh Terriers in or about the year 1760. This
pack of Otterhounds has always been kept by the Jones
of Ynysfor, who have always worked and still work Welsh
Terriers with them. From this strain some good terriers have
sprung, and this although neither the present master nor any
of his ancestors have concerned themselves greatly about the
looks of their terriers, or kept anything but a head record of
their pedigrees. They are all, however, pure bred, and are
set much store on by their owner and his family, just as they
always have been by their predecessors.
Until about the year 1884 no one seems to have considered
the question of putting specimens of the breed on the
show bench. About that year, however, several gentlemen
238 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
interested in the variety met together to see what could be
done in connection with the matter, the outcome being that
the Welsh Terrier Club was shortly afterwards founded, the
Kennel Club recognised the breed, and the terrier himself
began his career as a show dog.
The specimens which were first shown were, as may be
imagined, not a very high-class-looking lot. Although the
breed had been kept pure, no care had been taken in the culture
of it, except that which was necessary to produce a sporting
game terrier, able to do its work. One can readily understand,
therefore, that such an entirely " fancy " point as a long
foreface and narrow, clean skull had never been thought
of for a moment, and it was in these particulars that the Welsh
Terrier at first failed, from a show point of view. Naturally
enough, good shoulders, sound hind-quarters, more than fair
legs and feet, and excellent jackets were to be found in abund-
ance, but as the body was almost invariably surmounted by a
very short and wedge-shaped head and jaw, often accompanied
with a pair of heavy, round ears, an undershot mouth, and a
light, full eye, it will be realised that the general appearance
of the dog was not prepossessing. .
The Welsh Terrier to-day is very much improved beyond
what he was when first put on the bench. This improvement
has been brought about by careful and judicious breeding
from nothing but pure bred specimens. No outside aid has
been invoked — at any rate in the production of any of the
best terriers — and none has been required. It is a matter for
great congratulation that the breed has been kept pure
despite all temptation and exhortation.
The Welsh Terrier breeds as true as steel ; you know
what you are going to get. Had popular clamour had its way
years ago, goodness only know what monstrosities would now
be being bred.
The colour of the Welsh Terrier is, of course, against him
for working with a pack of hounds, especially in water. It
is only fair, however, to the breed to say that, barring this
THE WELSH TERRIER 239
colour drawback, there is no better terrier to hounds living.
They are not quarrelsome, show very little jealousy one of
another in working, can therefore easily be used, exercised, and
kennelled together, being much better in this respect than
any of the other breeds of terriers. They also, as a general
rule, are dead game ; they want a bit of rousing, and are not
so flashily, showily game as, say, the Fox-terrier ; but, just
as with humans, when it comes to real business, when the talk-
ing game is played out and there is nothing left but the
doing part of the business, then one's experience invariably is
that the quiet man, the quiet terrier, is the animal wanted
On the formation of the Welsh Terrier Club a standard
of perfection was drawn up and circulated with the club
rules. This standard has remained unchanged up to the
present day, and is as follows : —
Head — The skull should be flat and rather wider between the ears
than the wire-hair Fox-terrier. The jaw should be powerful, clean cut
rather deeper and more punishing — giving the head a more masculine
appearance — than that usually seen in a Fox-terrier. The stop not
too defined, fair length from stop to end of nose, the latter being of a
black colour. Ears — The ears should be V-shaped, small, not too thin,
set on fairly high, carried forward, and close to the cheek. Eyes —
The eyes should be small, not being too deeply set in or protruding out
of skull, of a dark hazel colour, expressive and indicating abundant
pluck. Neck — The neck should be of moderate length and thickness,
slightly arched and sloping gracefully into the shoulders. Body —
The back should be short and well ribbed up, the loin strong, good
depth, and moderate width of chest. The shoulders should be long,
sloping and well set back. The hind-quarters should be strong, thighs
muscular and of good length, with the hocks moderately straight, well set
down and fair amount of bone. The stern should be set on moderately
high, but not too gaily carried. Legs and Feet — The legs should be
straight and muscular, possessing fair amount of bone with upright and
powerful pasterns. The feet should be small, round and catike.
Coat — The coat should be wiry, hard, very close and abundant. Colour
— The colour should be black and tan or black grizzle and tan, free
from black pencilling on toes. Size — The height at shoulders should
be 15 inches for dogs, bitches proportionately less. Twenty pounds
shall be considered a fair average weight in working condition, but this
may vary a pound or so either way.
^^DISQUALIFYING POINTS: Nose white, cherry, or spotted to a
considerable extent with either of these colours. Ears prick, tulip, or
rose. Undershot jaw or pig jawed mouth. Black below hocks or white
anywhere to any appreciable extent, black pencilling on toes.
CHAPTER XXXVIII
THE SCOTTISH TERRIER
THE Scottish Terrier as a show dog dates from about 1877
to 1879. He seems almost at once to have attained popularity,
and he has progressed gradually since then, ever in an upward
direction, until he is to-day one of the most popular and
extensively owned varieties of the dog. Sir Paynton Pigott
had, at the date mentioned, a very fine kennel of the breed,
for in The Live Stock Journal of May 30th, 1879, we ^^ ms
kennel fully reviewed in a most enthusiastic manner by a
correspondent who visited it in consequence of a controversy
that was going on at the time, as to whether or not there
was such a dog at all, and who, therefore, wished to see and
judge for himself as to this point. At the end of his report on
the kennel the writer adds these words : "It was certainly one
of the happiest days of my life to have the pleasure of looking
over so many grand little dogs, but to find them in England
quite staggered me. Four dogs and eight bitches are not a
bad beginning, and with care and judicious selection in
mating, I have little doubt but Mr. Pigott 's kennel will be as
renowned for Terriers as the late Mr. Laverack's was for Setters.
I know but few that take such a delight in the brave little
' die-hards ' as Mr. Pigott, and he may well feel proud of the
lot he has got together at great trouble and expense."
The fact that there was such a kennel already in existence
proved, of course, a strong point in favour of the bona fides
of the breed. The best dog in it was Granite, whose portrait
and description were given in the Journal in connection with
the said review ; and the other animals of the kennel being of
240
I'Uotograph by T. I'ull
MRS SPENCER'S DANDIE DINMONT CH. BRAW LAD
A TYPICAL AIREDALE HEAD
MR. W. L. McCANDLISH'S SCOTTISH TERRIER
EMS COSMETIC
THE SCOTTISH TERRIER 241
the same type, it was at once recognised that there was,
in fact, such a breed, and the mouths of the doubters were
stopped.
Granite was unquestionably a typical Scottish Terrier, even
as we know them at the present day. He was certainly longer
in the back than we care for nowadays, and his head also was
shorter, and his jaw more snipy than is now seen, but his
portrait clearly shows he was a genuine Scottish Terrier,
and there is no doubt that he, with his kennel mates, Tartan,
Crofter, Syringa, Cavack, and Posey, conferred benefit upon
the breed.
To dive deeper into the antiquity of the Scottish Terrier is
a thing which means that he who tries it must be prepared to
meet all sorts of abuse, ridicule, and criticism. One man
will tell you there never was any such thing as the present-
day Scottish Terrier, that the mere fact of his having prick
ears shows he is a mongrel ; another, that he is merely an
offshoot of the Skye or the Dandie ; another, that the only
Scottish Terrier that is a Scottish Terrier is a white one ;
another, that he is merely a manufactured article from
Aberdeen, and so on ad infinitwn.
It is a most extraordinary fact that Scotland should have
unto herself so many different varieties of the terrier. There is
strong presumption that they one and all came originally from
one variety, and it is quite possible, nay probable, that
different crosses into other varieties have produced the
assortment of to-day. The writer is strongly of opinion that
there still exist in Scotland at the present time specimens
of the breed which propagated the lot, which was what is
called even now the Highland Terrier, a little long-backed,
short-legged, snipy-faced, prick or drop-eared, mostly sandy
and black-coloured terrier, game as a pebble, lively as a
cricket, and all in all a most charming little companion ;
and further, that to produce our present-day Scottish Terrier —
or shall we say, to improve the points of his progenitor ? —
the assistance of our old friend the Black and Tan wire-haired
Q
242 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
terrier of England was sought by a few astute people living
probably not very far from Aberdeen.
Scottish Terriers frequently go by the name of Aberdeen
Terriers — an appellation, it is true, usually heard only from
the lips of people who do not know much about them. Mr.
W. L. McCandlish, one of the greatest living authorities
on the breed, in an able treatise published some time back,
tells us, in reference to this matter, that the terrier under
notice went at different periods under the names of Highland,
Cairn, Aberdeen, and Scotch ; that he is now known by the
proud title of Scottish Terrier ; and that " the only surviving
trace of the differing nomenclature is the title Aberdeen, which
many people still regard as a different breed — a want of
knowledge frequently turned to account by the unscrupulous
dealer who is able to sell under the name of Aberdeen a dog
too bad to dispose of as a Scottish Terrier." But there can be
no doubt that originally there must have been some reason for
the name. In a letter to the writer, Sir Paynton Pigott
says, " Some people call them and advertise them as the
Aberdeen Terrier, which is altogether a mistake ; but the
reason of it is that forty years ago a Dr. Van Bust, who lived in
Aberdeen, bred these terriers to a large extent and sold themi
and those buying them called them, in consequence, ' Aberdeen
Terriers,' whereas they were in reality merely a picked sort
of Old Scotch or Highland Terrier." Sir Paynton himself,
as appears from the columns of The Live Stock Journal (March
2nd, 1877), bought some of the strain of Van Bust, and therein
gives a full description of the same.
Sir Paynton Pigott 's kennel of the breed assumed quite
large proportions, and was most successful, several times
winning all the prizes offered in the variety at different shows.
He may well be called the Father of the breed in England, for
when he gave up exhibiting, a great deal of his best blood
got into the kennels of Mr. H. J. Ludlow, who, as everyone
knows, has done such a tremendous amount of good in
popularising the breed and has also himself produced
THE SCOTTISH TERRIER 243
such a galaxy of specimens of the very best class. " Mr.
Ludlow's first terrier was' a bitch called Splinter II. The
name of Kildee is, in the breed, almost world-famous, and it is
interesting to note that in every line does he go back to the
said Splinter II. Rambler — called by the great authorities
the first pillar of the stud book — was a son of a dog called
Bon-Accord, and it is to this latter dog and Roger Rough, and
also the aforesaid Tartan and Splinter II. that nearly all of
the best present-day pedigrees go back. This being so, it
is unnecessary to give many more names of dogs who have in
their generations of some years back assisted in bringing the
breed to its present state of perfection. An exception, how-
ever, must be made in the case of two sons of Rambler, by
name Dundee and Alister, names very familiar in the Scottish
Terrier pedigrees of the present day. Alister especially was
quite an extraordinary stud dog. His progeny were legion,
and some very good terriers of to-day own him as progenitor
in nearly every line. The best descendants of Alister were
Kildee, Tiree, Whinstone, Prince Alexander, and Heather
Prince. He was apparently too much inbred to, and though
he produced or was responsible for several beautiful terriers,
it is much to be doubted whether in a breed which is suffering
from the ill-effects of too much inbreeding, he was not one of
the greatest sinners.
The Scottish Terrier Club was formed in the year 1882. In the
same year a joint committee drew up a standard of perfection
for the breed, Messrs. J. B. Morison and Thomson Gray,
two gentlemen who were looked upon as great authorities,
having a good deal to do with it.
STANDARD OF POINTS OF THE SCOTTISH TERRIER : Skull-
Proportionately long, slightly domed and covered with short hard hair
about | inch long or less. It should not be quite flat, as there should
be a sort of stop or drop between the eyes. Muzzle — Very powerful,
and gradually tapering towards the nose, which should always be
black and of a good size. The jaws should be perfectly level, and the
teeth square, though the nose projects somewhat over the mouth
which gives the impression of the upper jaw being longer than the under
one. Eyes — A dark-brown or hazel colour ; small, piercing, very bright
244 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
and rather sunken. Ears — Very small, prick or half prick (the former
is preferable), but never drop. They should also be sharp pointed,
and the hair on them should not be long, but velvety, and they should
not be cut. The ears should be free from any fringe at the top. Neck —
Short, thick and muscular ; strongly set on sloping shoulders. Chest —
Broad in comparison to the size of the dog, and proportionately deep.
Body — Of moderate length, but not so long as a Skye's, and' rather
flat-sided ; well ribbed up, and exceedingly strong in hind-quarters.
Legs and Feet — Both fore and hind legs should be short and very
heavy in bone, the former being straight and well set on under the body,
as the Scottish Terrier should not be out at elbows. The hocks should
be bent, and the thighs very muscular, and the feet strong, small and
thickly covered with short hair, the fore feet being larger than the
hind ones. Tall — Should be about 7 inches long, never docked, carried
with a slight bend and often gaily. Coat — Should be rather short
(about 2 inches), intensely hard and wiry in texture, and very dense all
over the body. Size — From 15 Ib. to 20 Ib. ; the best weight being as
near as possible 18 Ib. for-dogs, and 16 Ib. for bitches when in condition
for work. Colour — Steel or iron grey, black brindle, brown brindle, grey
brindle, black, sandy and wheaten. White markings are objectionable,
and can only be allowed on the chest and to a small extent. General
Appearance — The face should wear a very sharp, bright and active
expression, and the head should be carried up. The dog (owing to the
shortness of his coat) should appear to be higher on the leg than he
really is ; but at the same time he should look compact and possessed
of great muscle in his hind-quarters. In fact, a Scottish Terrier, though
essentially a terrier, cannot be too powerfully put together, and should
be from about 9 inches to 12 inches in height.
SPECIAL FAULTS : Muzzle— Either under or over hung. Eyes-
Large or light-coloured. Ears — Large, round at the points or drop.
It is also a fault if they are too heavily covered with hair. Leffs —
Bent, or slightly bent, and out at elbows. Coat — Any silkiness, wave
or tendency to curl is a serious blemish, as is also an open coat. Size —
Specimens of over 20 Ib. should be discouraged.
There have, of recent years, been many very excellent
specimens of the Scottish Terrier bred and exhibited. Pre-
eminent among them stands Mrs. Hannay's Ch. Heworth
Rascal, who was a most symmetrical terrier, and probably
the nearest approach to perfection in the breed yet seen.
Other very first-class terriers have been the same lady's
Ch. Gair, Mr. Powlett's Ch. Callum Dhu, Mr. McCandlish's
Ems Cosmetic, Mr. Chapman's Heather Bob and Heather
Charm, Mr. Kinnear's Seafield Rascal, Mr. Wood's Hyndman
Chief, Messrs. Buckley and Mills's Clonmel Invader, and Mr.
Deane Willis's Ch. Huntley Daisy and Ch. Carter Laddie.
It is highly probable that of all the terrier tribe, the
THE SCOTTISH TERRIER 245
" Scottie," taken as a whole, is the best companion. He
makes a most excellent house-dog, is not too big, does not
leave white hairs about all over the place, loves only his master
and his master's household, and is, withal, a capable and
reliable guard. He is, as a rule, a game, attractive terrier,
with heaps of brain power, and from a show point of view
there is always some recompense in keeping him, as it will be
found he breeds true to type and does not beget offspring of all
sorts, shapes, and makes.
CHAPTER XXXIX
THE WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIER
MAN, being a hunting animal, kills the otter for his skin, and
the badger also ; the fox he kills because the animal likes
lamb and game to eat. Man, being unable to deal in the course
of a morning with the rocks under and between which his
quarry harbours, makes use of the small dog which will go
underground, to which the French name terrier has been
attached.
Towards the end of the reign of James the First of England
and Sixth of Scotland, we find him writing to Edinburgh to
have half a dozen " earth dogges or terrieres " sent care-
fully to France as a present, and he directs that they be got
from Argyll, and sent over in two or more ships lest they
should get harm by the way. That was roughly three hundred
years ago, and the King most probably would not have so
highly valued a newly-invented strain as he evidently did
value the " terrieres " from Argyll. We may take it then
that in 1600 the Argyllshire terriers were considered to be the
best in Scotland, and likely enough too, seeing the almost
boundless opportunities the county gives for the work of the
" earth dogges."
But men kept their dogs in the evil pre-show days for work
and not for points, and mighty indifferent were they whether
an ear cocked up or lay flat to the cheek, whether the tail was
exactly of fancy length, or how high to a hair's breadth it
stood. These things are sine qua non on the modern show
bench, but were not thought of in the cruel, hard fighting days
of old.
246
WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIER 247
In those days two things — and two things only — were
imperatively necessary : pluck and capacity to get at the
quarry. This entailed that the body in which the pluck
was enshrined must be small and most active, to get at the
innermost recesses of the lair, and that the body must be pro-
tected by the best possible teeth and jaws for fighting, on a
strong and rather long neck and directed by a most capable
brain. It is held that feet turned out a little are better for
scrambling up rocks than perfectly straight Fox-terrier like
feet. In addition, it was useful to have your dog of a colour
easy to see when in motion, though no great weight was laid
upon that point, as in the days before newspapers and trains
men's eyes were good, as a rule. Still, the quantity of white
in the existing terriers all through the west coast of Scotland
shows that it must have been rather a favoured colour.
White West Highland Terriers were kept at Poltalloch sixty
years ago, and so they were first shown as Poltalloch Terriers.
Yet although they were kept in their purest strain in
Argyllshire, they are still to be found all along the west coast
of Scotland, good specimens belonging to Ross-shire, to Skye,
and at Baliachulish on Loch Leven, so that it is a breed with
a long pedigree and not an invented breed of the present day.
Emphatically, they are not simply white coloured Scottish
Terriers, and it is an error to judge them on Scottish Terrier
lines. They are smaller than the average Scottie, more
" foxy " in general conformation — straight limbed, rather
long, rather low, and active in body, with a broad forehead,
light muzzle and underjaw, and a bright, small intelligent eye.
Colonel Malcolm, of Poltalloch, who is recognised as the great
authority on the breed, lays stress upon the quality of the coat.
" The outer coat," he says, " should be very soft on the fore-
head and get gradually harder towards the haunches, but the
harsh coat beloved of the show bench is all nonsense, and is the
easiest thing in the world to ' fake/ as any one can try who will
dip his own hair into the now fashionable ' anturic ' baths.
The outer coat should be distinctly long, but not long in the
248 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
' fancy ' or show sense. Still, it should be long enough
to hang as a thatch over the soft, woolly real coat of the animal-
and keep it dry so that a good shake or two will throw off
most of the water ; while the under coat should be so thick
and naturally oily that the dog can swim through a fair-
sized river and not get wet, or be able to sit out through a
drenching rain guarding something of his master's and be
none the worse. This under coat I, at least, have never seen
a judge look for, but for the working terrier it is most important.
The size of the dog is perhaps best indicated by weight. The
dog should not weigh more than 18 lb., nor the bitch more
than 16 lb.
" There is among judges, I find — with all respect I say it —
an undue regard for weight and what is called strength, also
for grooming, which means brushing or plucking out all the
long hair to gratify the judge. One might as well judge of
Sandow's strength, not by his performances, but by the kind
of wax he puts on his moustache !
" The West Highland Terrier of the old sort— I do not, of
course, speak of bench dogs — earned their li ving following fox,
badger, or otter wherever these went underground, between,
over, or under rocks that no man could get at to move, and
some of such size that a hundred men could not move them.
(And oh ! the beauty of their note when they came across the
right scent !) I want my readers to understand this, and not
to think of a Highland fox-cairn as if it were an English fox-
earth dug in sand ; nor of badger work as if it were a question
of locating the badger and then digging him out. No ; the
badger makes his home amongst rocks, the small ones perhaps
two or three tons in weight, and probably he has his ' hinner
end ' against one of three or four hundred tons — no digging
him out — and, moreover, the passages between the rocks
must be taken as they are ; no scratching them a little wider.
So if your dog's ribs are a trifle too big he may crush one or
two through the narrow slit and then stick. He will never be
able to pull himself back — at least, until starvation has so
WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIER 249
reduced him that he will probably be unable, if set free, to win
(as we say in Scotland) his way back to the open.
" I remember a tale of one of my father's terriers who got so
lost. The keepers went daily to the cairn hoping against hope.
At last one day a pair of bright eyes were seen at the bottom
of a hole. They did not disappear when the dog's name was
called. A brilliant idea seized one of the keepers. The
dog evidently could not get up, so a rabbit skin was folded
into a small parcel round a stone and let down by a string.
The dog at once seized the situation — and the skin — held on,
was drawn up, and fainted on reaching the mouth of the hole.
He was carried home tenderly and nursed ; he recovered."
Referring to the characteristics of this terrier, Colonel
Malcolm continues : — " Attention to breeding as to colour has
undoubtedly increased the whiteness, but, other points being
good, a dog of the West Highland White Terrier breed is not
to be rejected if he shows his descent by a slight degree of
pale red or yellow on his back or his ears. I know an old
Argyllshire family who consider that to improve their terriers
they ought all to have browny yellow ears. Neither again,
except for the show bench, is there the slightest objection to
half drop ears — i.e., the points of one or both ears just falling
over.
" Unfortunately, the show bench has a great tendency to
spoil all breeds from too much attention being given to what is
evident — and ears are grand things for judges to pin their
faith to ; also, they greatly admire a fine long face and what
is called — but wrongly called — a strong jaw, meaning by that
an ugly, heavy face. I have often pointed out that the tiger,
the cat, the otter, all animals remarkable for their strength
of jaw, have exceedingly short faces, but their bite is cruelly
hard. And what, again, could be daintier than the face of a
fox?
" The terrier of the West Highlands of Scotland has come
down to the present day, built on what I may perhaps call the
fox lines, and it is a type evolved by work — hard and deadly
250 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
dangerous work. It is only of late years that dogs have been
bred for show. The so-called ' Scottish ' Terrier, which at
present rules the roost, dates from 1879 as a show dog.
" I therefore earnestly hope that no fancy will arise about
these dogs which will make them less hardy, less wise, less
companionable, less active, or less desperate fighters under-
ground than they are at present. A young dog that I gave to a
keeper got its stomach torn open in a fight. It came out of
the cairn to its master to be helped. He put the entrails
back to the best of his ability, and then the dog slipped out
of his hands to finish the fight, and forced the fox out into the
open ! That is the spirit of the breed ; but, alas, that cannot
be exhibited on the show bench. They do say that a keeper
of mine, when chaffed by the ' fancy ' about the baby faces
of his ' lot,' was driven to ask, ' Well, can any of you gentle-
men oblige me with a cat, and I'll show you ? ' I did not
hear him say it, so it may only be a tale.
" Anyhow, I have in my kennel a dog who, at ten months old,
met a vixen fox as she was bolting out of her cairn, and he at
once caught her by the throat, stuck to her till the pack came
up, and then on till she was killed. In the course of one
month his wounds were healed, and he had two other classical
fights, one with a cat and the other with a dog fox. Not bad
for a pup with a ' baby face ? '
" I trust my readers understand that the West Highland
White Terriers are not White Aberdeens, not a new invention,
but have a most respectable ancestry of their own. I add the
formal list of points, but this is the work of show bench
experts — and it will be seen from what I have written that I
do not agree with them on certain particulars. There should
be feather to a fair degree on the tail, but if experts will not
allow it, put rosin on your hands and pull the hair out — and
the rosin will win your prize. The eye should not be sunk,
which gives the sulky look of the ' Scotch ' Terrier, but should
be full and bright, and the expression friendly and confiding.
The skull should not be narrow anywhere. It is almost
WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIER 251
impossible to get black nails in a dog of pure breed and the
black soon wears off the pad work, so folk must understand
this. On two occasions recently I have shown dogs, acknow-
ledged, as dogs, to be quite first class, ' but, you see, they are
not the proper type.' The judges unfortunately have as
yet their eyes filled with the ' Scottish ' terrier type and prefer
mongrels that show it to the real ' Simon Pure.' "
STANDARD OF POINTS : The General Appearance of the West
Highland White Terrier is that of a small, game, hardy-looking terrier,
possessed with no small amount of self-esteem, with a " varminty "
appearance, strongly built, deep in chest and back ribs, straight back
and powerful quarters, on muscular legs and exhibiting in a marked
degree a great combination of strength and activity. Colour — White.
Coat — Very important, and seldom seen to perfection ; must be double-
coated. The outer coat consists of hard hair, about 2$ inches long,
and free from any curl. The under coat, which resembles fur, is short,
soft, and close. Open coats are objectionable. Size — Dogs to weigh
from 14 to 18 lb., and bitches from 12 to 16 lb., and measure from 8 to
12 inches at the shoulder. Skull — Should not be too narrow, being in
proportion to his powerful jaw, proportionately long, slightly domed,
and gradually tapering to the eyes, between which there should be a
slight indentation or stop. Eyebrows heavy. The hair on the skull
to be from f to 1 inch long, and fairly hard. Eyes — Widely set apart,
medium in size, dark hazel in colour, sightly sunk in the head, sharp
and intelligent, which, looking from under the heavy eyebrows, give
a piercing look. Full eyes, and also light-coloured eyes, are very
objectionable. Muzzle — Should be powerful, proportionate in length,
and should gradually taper towards the nose, which should be fairly
wide, and should not project forward beyond the upper jaw. The
jaws level and powerful, and teeth square or evenly met, well setr
and large for the size of the dog. The nose and roof of mouth should
be distinctly black in colour. Ears — Small, carried erect or semi-erect,
but never drop, and should be carried tightly up. The semi-erect
ear should drop nicely over at the tips, the break being about three-
quarters up the ear, and both forms of ears should terminate in a sharp
point. The hair on them should be short, smooth (velvety), and they
should not be cut. The ears should be free from any fringe at the top.
Round, pointed, broad and large ears are very objectionable, also ears
too heavily covered with hair. Neck — Muscular, and nicely set on
sloping shoulders. Chest — Very deep, with breadth in proportion to
the size of the dog. Body — Compact, straight back, ribs deep and well
arched in the upper half of rib, presenting a flattish side appearance.
Loins broad and strong. Hind-quarters strong, muscular, and wide
across the top. Legs and Feet — Both fore and hind legs should be
short and muscular. The shoulder blades should be comparatively
broad, and well-sloped backwards. The points of the shoulder blades
should be closely knit into the backbone, so that very little movement
of them should be noticeable when the dog is walking. The elbow
252 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
should be close in to the body both when moving or standing, thus
causing the fore-leg to be well placed in under the shoulder. The fore-
legs should be straight and thickly covered with short hard hair.
The hind-legs should be short and sinewy. The thighs very muscular
and not too wide apart. The hocks bent and well set in under the
body, so as to be fairly close to each other either when standing, walking,
or running (trotting) ; and, when standing, the hind-legs, from the
point of the hock down to fetlock joint, should be straight or per-
pendicular and not far apart. The fore-feet are larger than the hind
ones, are round, proportionate in size, strong, thickly padded, and
covered with short hard hair. The foot must point straight forward.
The hind-feet are smaller, not quite as round as fore-feet, and thickly
padded. The under surface of the pads of feet and all the nails should
be distinctly black in colour. Hocks too much bent (cow hocks)
detract from the general appearance. Straight hocks are weak.
Both kinds are undesirable, and should be guarded against. Tail —
Six or seven inches long, covered with hard hairs, no feathers, as straight
as possible ; carried gaily, but not curled over back. A long t;iil
is objectionable. Movement — Should be free, straight, and easy all
round. In front, the leg should be freely extended forward by the
shoulder. The hind movement should be free, strong, and close.
The hocks should be freely flexed and drawn dose in under the body,
so that, when moving off the foot, the body is thrown or pushed forward
with some force. Stiff, stilty movement behind is very objectionable.
FAULTS : Coat — Any silkiness, wave, or tendency to curl is a serious
blemish, as is also an open coat. Black or grey hairs disqualify for
competition. Size — Any specimens under the minimum, or above the
maximum weight, are objectionable. Eyes — Full or light coloured.
Ears — Round-pointed, drop, broad and large, or too heavily covered
with hair. Muzzle — Either under or over shot, and defective teeth.
COL. MALCOLM'S WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIERS
SONNY AND SARAH
Photograph by T. I' all
MISS E. McCHEANE'S SKYE TERRIERS CH. FAIRFIELD DIAMOND
AND CH. WOLVERLEY CHUMMIE
CHAPTER XL
THE DANDIE DINMONT
THE breed of terrier now known as the Dandle Dinmont is one
of the races of the dog which can boast of a fairly ancient
lineage. Though it is impossible now to say what was the
exact origin of this breed, we know that it was first recognised
under its present name after the publication of Scott's Guy
Mannering, in the year 1814, and we know that for many
years previously there had existed in the Border counties a
rough-haired, short -legged race of terrier, the constant and
very effective companion of the Border farmers and others in
their fox-hunting expeditions.
Various theories have been suggested by different writers
as to the manner in which the breed was founded. Some say
that the Dandie is the result of crossing a strain of rough-haired
terriers with the Dachshund ; others that a rough-haired
terrier was crossed with the Otterhound ; and others again
assert that no direct cross was ever introduced to found the
breed, but that it was gradually evolved from the rough-haired
terriers of the Border district. And this latter theory is
probably correct.
The Dandie would appear to be closely related to the Bed-
lington Terrier. In both breeds we find the same indomitable
pluck, the same pendulous ear, and a light silky " topknot "
adorning the skull of each ; but the Dandie was evolved into a
long-bodied, short-legged dog, and the Bedlington became
a long-legged, short-bodied dog ! Indeed to illustrate the
close relationship of the two breeds a case is quoted of the late
Lord Antrim, who, in the early days of dog shows, exhibited
253
254 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
two animals from the same litter, and with the one obtained a
prize or honourable mention in the Dandie classes, and with
the other a like distinction in the Bedlington classes.
It may be interesting to give a few particulars concerning the
traceable ancestors of the modern Dandie. In Mr. Charles
Cook's book on this breed, we are given particulars of one
William Allan, of Holystone, born in 1704, and known as
Piper Allan, and celebrated as a hunter of otters and foxes,
and for his strain of rough-haired terriers who so ably assisted
him in the chase. William Allan's terriers descended to his
son James, also known as the " Piper," and born in the year
1734. James Allan died in 1810, and was survived by a
son who sold to Mr. Francis Somner at Yetholm a terrier dog
named Old Pepper, descended from his grandfather's famous
dog Hitchem. Old Pepper was the great-grandsire of Mr.
Somner's well-known dog Shem. These terriers belonging to
the Allans and others in the district are considered by Mr.
Cook to be the earliest known ancestors of the modern Dandie
Dinmont.
Sir Walter Scott himself informs us that he did not draw the
character of Dandie Dinmont from any one individual in
particular, but that the character would well fit a dozen or
more of the Lidderdale yeomen of his acquaintance. How-
ever, owing to the circumstance of his calling all his terriers
Mustard and Pepper, without any other distinction except
" auld " and " young " and " little," the name came to be
fixed by his associates upon one James Davidson, of Hindlee,
a wild farm in the Teviotdale mountains.
James Davidson died in the year 1820, by which time the
Dandie Dinmont Terrier was being bred in considerable num-
bers by the Border farmers and others to meet the demand
for it which had sprung up since the appearance of Guy
Mannering.
As a result of the controversies that were continually re-
curring with regard to the points of a typical Dandie Dinmont
there was formed in the year 1876 the Dandie Dinmont Terrier
THE DANDIE DINMONT 255
Club, with the object of settling the question for ever, and for
this purpose all the most noted breeders and others interested
were invited to give their views upon it.
The standard of points adopted by the club is as follows : —
Head — Strongly made and large, not out of proportion to the dog's
size ; the muscles showing extraordinary development, more especially
the maxillary. Skull — Broad between the ears, getting gradually less
towards the eyes, and measuring about the same from the inner corner
of the eyes to back of skull as it does from ear to ear. The forehead
well domed. The head is covered with very soft silky hair, which should
not be confined to a mere topknot, and the lighter in colour and silkier
it is the better. The cheeks, starting from the ears proportionately
with the skull, have a gradual taper towards the muzzle, which is deep
and strongly made, and measures about three inches in length, or in
proportion to skull as three is to five. The muzzle is covered with hair
of a little darker shade than the topknot, and of the same texture
as the feather of the fore-legs. The top of the muzzle is generally
bare for about an inch from the black part of the nose, the bareness
coming to a point towards the eye, and being about one inch broad at
the nose. The nose and inside of mouth black or dark coloured. The
teeth very strong, especially the canine, which are of extraordinary
size for such a small dog. The canines fit well into each other, so as to
give the greatest available holding and punishing power, and the teeth
are level in front, the upper ones very slightly overlapping the under
ones. (Many of the finest specimens have a "swine mouth," which is
very objectionable, but it is not so great an objection as the protrusion
of the under jaw.) Eyes — Set wide apart, large, full, round, bright,
expressive of great determination, intelligence and dignity ; set low
and prominent in front of the head ; colour a rich dark hazel. Ears —
Pendulous, set well back, wide apart and low on the skull, hanging close
to the cheek, with a very slight projection at the base, broad at the
junction of the head and tapering almost to a point, the fore part of the
ear tapering very little, the tapering being mostly on the back part,
the fore part of the ear coming almost straight down from its junction
with the head to the tip. They should harmonise in colour with the
body colour. In the case of a pepper dog they are covered with a soft,
straight, brownish hair (in some cases almost black). In the case of
a mustard dog the hair should be mustard in colour, a shade darker
than the body, but not black. All should have a thin feather of light
hair starting about two inches from the tip, and of nearly the same
colour and texture as the topknot, which gives the ear the appearance
of a distinct point. The animal is often one or two years old before the
feather is shown. The cartilage and skin of the ear should not be thick,
but rather thin. Length of ear, from three to four inches. Neck —
Very muscular, well developed, and strong ; showing great power
of resistance, being well set into the shoulders. Body — Long, strong,
and flexible ; ribs well sprung and round, chest well developed and
let well down between the fore-legs ; the back rather low at the shoulder,
having a slight downward curve and a corresponding arch over the
256 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
loins, with a very slight gradual drop from top of loins to root of tail ;
both sides of backbone well supplied with muscle. Tail — Rather short,
say from eight inches to ten inches, and covered on the upper side with
wiry hair of darker colour than that of the body, the hair on the under
side being lighter in colour, and not so wiry, with a nice feather, about
two inches long, getting shorter as it nears the tip ; rather thick at the
root, getting thicker for about four inches, then tapering off to a point.
It should not be twisted or curled in any way, but should come up
with a curve like a scimitar, the Up, when excited, being in a per-
pendicular line with the root of the tail. It should neither be set on
too high nor too low. When not excited it is carried gaily, and a little
above the level of the body. Legs — The fore-legs short, with immense
muscular development and bone, set wide apart, the chest coming well
down between them. The feet well formed, and not //a/, with very
strong brown or dark-coloured claws. Bandy legs and flat feet are
objectionable. The hair on the fore-legs and feet of a pepper dog
should be tan, varying according to the body colour from a rich tan
to a pale fawn ; of a mustard dog they are of a darker shade than its
head, which is a creamy white. In both colours there is a nice feather,
about two inches long, rather lighter in colour than the hair on the
fore-part of the leg. The hind-legs are a little longer than the fore ones,
and are set rather wide apart, but not spread out in an unnatural
manner, while the feet are much smaller, the thighs are well developed,
and the hair of the same colour and texture as the fore ones, but having
no feather or dew claws ; the whole claws should be dark ; but the
claws of all vary in shade according to the colour of the dog's body.
Coat — This is a very important point ; the hair should be about two
inches long ; that from skull to root of tail a mixture of hardish and soft
hair, which gives a sort of crisp feel to the hand. The hair should not
be wiry ; the coat is termed pily or pencilled. The hair on the under
part of the body is lighter in colour and softer than that on the top.
The skin on the belly accords with the colour of dog. Colour — The
colour is pepper or mustard. The pepper ranges from a dark bluish
black to a light silver grey, the intermediate shades being preferred,
the body colour coming well down the shoulder and hips, gradually
merging into the leg colour. The mustards vary from a reddish brown
to a pale fawn, the head being a creamy white, the legs and feet of a
shade darker than the head. The claws are dark as in other colours.
(Nearly all Dandie Dinmonts have some white on the chest, and some
have also white claws.) Size — The height should be from 8 to 11 inches
at the top of shoulder. Length from top of shoulder to root of tail
should not be more than twice the dog's height, but, preferably, one or
two inches less. Weight— From 14 Ib. to 24 Ib. the best weight as
near 18 Ib. as possible. These weights are for dogs in good working
order.
In the above standard of points we have a very full and
detailed account of what a Dandie should be like, and if only
judges at shows would bear them in mind a little more, we
should have fewer conflicting decisions given, and Dandie
THE DANDIE DINMONT 257
fanciers and the public generally would not from time to time
be set wondering as to what is the correct type of the breed.
A Dandie makes an excellent house guard ; for such a
small dog he has an amazingly deep, loud bark, so that the
stranger, who has heard him barking on the far side of the
door, is quite astonished when he sees the small owner of the
big voice. When kept as a companion he becomes a most
devoted and affectionate little friend, and is very intelligent.
As a dog to be kept in kennels there is certainly one great
drawback where large kennels are desired, and that is the risk
of keeping two or more dogs in one kennel ; sooner or later
there is sure to be a fight, and when Dandies fight it is generally
a very serious matter ; if no one is present to separate them,
one or both of the combatants is pretty certain to be killed.
But when out walking the Dandie is no more quarrelsome than
other breeds of terriers, if properly trained from puppyhood.
There is one little matter in breeding Dandies that is gener-
ally a surprise to the novice, and that is the very great differ-
ence in the appearance of the young pups and the adult dog.
The pups are born quite smooth-haired, the peppers are black
and tan in colour, and the mustards have a great deal of black
in their colouring. The topknot begins to appear sometimes
when the dog is a few months old, and sometimes not till he is
a year or so old. It is generally best to mate a mustard
to a pepper, to prevent the mustards becoming too light in
colour, though two rich-coloured mustards may be mated
together with good results. It is a rather curious fact that
when two mustards are mated some of the progeny are usually
pepper in colour, though when two peppers are mated there are
very seldom any mustard puppies.
The popularity of the Dandie has now lasted for nearly a
hundred years, and there is no reason why it should not last for
another century, if breeders will only steer clear of the exaggera-
tion of show points, and continue to breed a sound, active, and
hardy terrier.
CHAPTER XLI
THE SKYE, AND CLYDESDALE TERRIERS
THAT the Skye Terrier should be called " the Heavenly
Breed " is a tribute to the favour in which he is held by his
admirers. Certainly when he is seen in perfection he is an
exceedingly beautiful dog. As certainly there is no breed
more affectionate, more faithful, or more lovable. Among his
characteristics are a long-enduring patience, a prompt obedi-
ence, and a deep-hearted tenderness, combined with fearless
courage. He is more sensitive to rebuke and punishment
than most dogs, and will nurse resentment to those who are
unjust to him ; not viciously, but with an almost human
plaintiveness which demands an immediate reconciliation.
He is staunch and firm as his native hills to those who are kind
to him, and for entering into battle with an enemy there is no
dog more recklessly daring and resolute.
Visitors to dog shows are disposed to believe that the Skye
Terrier, with its well-groomed coat that falls in smooth cas-
cades down its sides, and its veil of thick hair that obscures
the tender softness of its dark and thoughtful eyes, is meant
only to look beautiful upon the bench or to recline in com-
fortable indolence on silken cushions. This is a mistake.
See a team of Skyes racing up a hillside after a fugitive rabbit,
tirelessly burrowing after a rat, or displaying their terrier
strategy around a fox's earth or an otter's holt, and you will
admit that they are meant for sport, and are demons at it.
Even their peculiarity of build is a proof that they are born
to follow vermin underground. They are long of body, with
short, strong legs, adapted for burrowing. With the Dach-
358
THE SKYE TERRIER 259
shund they approximate more closely than any other breeds
to the shape of the badger, the weasel, and the otter, and so
many animals which Nature has made long and low in order
that they may inhabit earths and insinuate themselves into
narrow passages in the moorland cairns.
There can be no question that these dogs, which are so
typically Highland in character and appearance, as well as
the Clydesdale, the Scottish, the Dandie Dinmont, and the
White Poltalloch terriers, are all the descendants of a purely
native Scottish original. They are all inter-related ; but
which was the parent breed it is impossible to determine.
It is even difficult to discover which of the two distinct
types of the Skye Terrier was the earlier — the variety whose
ears stand alertly erect or its near relative whose ears are
pendulous. Perhaps it does not matter. The differences be-
tween the prick-eared Skye and the drop-eared are so slight,
and the characteristics which they have in common are so
many, that a dual classification was hardly necessary. The
earliest descriptions and engravings of the breed present
a terrier considerably smaller than the type of to-day, carrying
a fairly profuse, hard coat, with short legs, a body long in
proportion to its height, and with ears that were neither erect
nor drooping, but semi-erect and capable of being raised to
alertness in excitement. It is the case that drop-eared puppies
often occur in the litters of prick-eared parents, and vice
versa. ->
As its name implies, this terrier had its early home in the
misty island of Skye ; which is not to say that it was not also
to be found in Lewis, Oronsay, Colonsay and others of the
Hebrides, as well "as on the mainland of Scotland. Dr. John-
son, who visited these islands with Boswell in 1773, noticed
these terriers and observed that otters and weasels were plenti-
ful in Skye, that the foxes were numerous, and^that they
were hunted by small dogs. He was so accurate an observer
that one regrets he did not describe the Macleod's terriers and
their work. They were at that time of many colours, varying
260 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
from pure white to fawn and brown, blue-grey and black.
The lighter coloured ones had black muzzles, ears, and tails.
Their tails were carried more gaily than would be permitted
by a modern judge of the breed.
In those days the Highlander cared less for the appearance
than he did for the sporting proclivities of his dogs, whose
business it was to oust the tod from the earth in which it
had taken refuge ; and for this purpose certain qualities were
imperative. First and foremost the terrier needed to be
small, short of leg, long and lithe in body, with ample face
fringe to protect his eyes from injury, and possessed of
unlimited pluck and dash.
The Skye Terrier of to-day does not answer to each and
every one of these requirements. He is too big — decidedly he
is too big — especially in regard to the head. A noble-looking
skull, with large, well-feathered ears may be admirable as
ornament, but would assuredly debar its possessor from follow-
ing into a fox's lair among the boulders. Then, again, his
long coat would militate against the activity necessary for
his legitimate calling.
It was not until about 1860 that the Skye Terrier attracted
much notice among dog lovers south of the Border, but Queen
Victoria's admiration of the breed, of which from 1842 on-
wards she always owned favourite specimens, and Sir Edwin
Landseer's paintings in which the Skye was introduced, had
already drawn public attention to the decorative and useful
qualities of this terrier. The breed was included in the
first volume of the Kennel Club Stud Book, and the best among
the early dogs were such as Mr. Pratt 's Gillie and Dun vegan,
Mr. D. W. Fyfe's Novelty, Mr. John Bowman's Dandie, and
Mr. Macdona's Rook. These were mostly of the drop-eared
variety, and were bred small.
About the year 1874, fierce and stormy disputes arose
concerning the distinctions of the Scottish breeds of terriers.
The controversy was continued until 1879, when the Kennel
Club was approached with the view to furnishing classes.
THE SKYE TERRIER 261
The controversy was centred upon three types of Scottish
terriers : those which claimed to be pure Skye Terriers, a dog
described briefly as Scotch, and a third, which for a time was
miscalled the Aberdeen. To those who had studied the
varieties, the distinctions were clear ; but the question at
issue was — to which of the three rightly belonged the title
of Scottish Terrier ? The dog which the Scots enthusiasts
were trying to get established under this classification was
the Cairn Terrier of the Highlands, known in some localities
as the short-coated, working Skye, and in others as the Fox-
terrier, or Tod-hunter. A sub-division of this breed was the
more leggy " Aberdeen " variety.
The present-day Skye is without doubt one of the most
beautiful terriers in existence. He is a dog of medium size,
with a weight not exceeding 25 lb., and not less than 18 Ib.
he is long in proportion to his height, with a very level back, a
powerful jaw with perfectly fitting teeth, a small hazel eye,
and a long hard coat just reaching the ground. In the prick-
eared variety the ears are carried erect, with very fine ear
feathering, and the face fringe is long and thick. The ear
feathering and face fall are finer in quality than the coat, which
is exceedingly hard and weather-resisting. And here it is
well to point out that the Skye has two distinct coats : the
under coat, somewhat soft and woolly, and the upper, hard and
rain-proof. This upper coat should be as straight as possible,
without any tendency to wave or curl. The tail is not very
long, and should be nicely feathered, and in repose never
raised above the level of the back.
The same description applies to the drop-eared type, except
that the ears in repose, instead of being carried erect, fall
evenly on each side of the head. When, however, the dog is
excited, the ears are pricked forward, in exactly the same
fashion as those of the Airedale Terrier. This is an important
point, a houndy carriage of ear being a decided defect. The
drop-eared variety is usually the heavier and larger dog of the
two ; and for some reason does not show the quality and breed-
262 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
ing of its neighbour. Lately, however, there has evidently
been an effort made to improve the drop-eared type, with the
result that some very excellent dogs have recently appeared
at, the important shows.
Probably Mr. James Pratt has devoted more time and
attention to the Skye Terrier than any other now living fancier,
though the names of Mr. Kidd and Mr. Todd are usually well
known. Mr. Pratt's Skyes were allied to the type of terrier
claiming to be the original Skye of the Highlands. The head
was not so large, the ears also were not so heavily feathered,
as is the case in the Skye of to-day, and the colours were 'very
varied, ranging from every tint between black and white.
In 1892 a great impetus was given to the breed by Mrs.
Hughes, whose kennels at Wolverley were of overwhelmingly
good quality. Mrs. Hughes was quickly followed by such
ardent and successful fanciers as Sir Claud and Lady Alex-
ander, of Ballochmyle, Mrs. Freeman, Miss Bowyer Smyth, and
Miss McCheane. Lately other prominent exhibitors have
forced their way into the front rank, among whom may be
mentioned the Countess of Aberdeen, Mrs. Hugh Ripley,
Mrs. Wilmer, Miss Whishaw, and Mrs. Sandwith. Mrs. Hughes'
Wolverley Duchess and Wolverley Jock were excellent types
of what a prick-eared Skye should be. Excellent, too, were
Mrs. Freeman's Alister, and Sir Claud Alexander's Young
Rosebery, Olden Times, Abbess, and Wee Mac of Adel,
Mrs. Wilmer's Jean, and Mr. Millar's Prince Donard. But
the superlative Skye of the period, and probably the best
ever bred, is Wolverley Chummie, the winner of thirty
championships which are but the public acknowledgment of
his perfections. He is the property of Miss McCheane, who is
also the owner of an almost equally good specimen of the
other sex in Fair field Diamond. Among the drop-eared
Skyes of present celebrity may be mentioned Mrs. Hugh
Ripley's Perfection, Miss Whishaw's Piper Grey, and Lady
Aberdeen's Cromar Kelpie.
There are two clubs in England and one in Scotland instituted
THE SKYE TERRIER 263
to protect the interests of this breed, namely, the Skye Terrier
Club of England, the Skye and Clydesdale Club, and the Skye
Terrier Club of Scotland. The Scottish Club's description Ts
as follows : —
Head — Long, with powerful jaws and incisive teeth closing level,
or upper just fitting over under. Skull : wide at front of brow, narrow-
ing between the ears, and tapering gradually towards the muzzle, with
little falling in between or behind the eyes. Eyes : hazel, medium
size, close set. Muzzle : always black. Ears (Prick or Pendant) —
When prick, not large, erect at outer edges, and slanting towards each
other at inner, from peak to skull. When pendant, larger, hanging
straight, lying flat, and close at front. Body — Pre-eminently long and
low.' Shoulders broad, chest deep, ribs well sprung and oval shaped,
giving a flattish appearance to the sides. Hind-quarters and flank
full and well developed. Back level and slightly declining from the
top of the hip joint to the shoulders. The neck long and gently crested.
Tall — When hanging, the upper half perpendicular, the under half
thrown backward in a curve. When raised, a prolongation of the
incline of the back, and not rising higher nor curling up. Legs — Short,
straight, and muscular. No dew claws, the feet large and pointing
forward. Coat (Double) — An under, short, close, soft, and woolly.
An over, long, averaging 5$ inches, hard, straight, flat, and free from
crimp or curl. Hair on head, shorter, softer, and veiling the forehead
and eyes ; on the ears, overhanging inside, falling down and mingling
with the side locks, not heavily, but surrounding the ear like a fringe,
and allowing its shape to appear. Tail also gracefully feathered.
Colour (any variety) — Dark or light blue or grey, or fawn with black
points. Shade of head and legs approximating that of body.
1. AVERAGE MEASUREMENTS : Dog— Height at shoulder, 9
inches. Length, back of skull to root of tail, 22$ inches ; muzzle
to back of skull, 8$ inches ; root of tail to tip joint, 9 inches. Total
length, 40 inches. Bitch — Half an inch lower, and 2$ inches shorter
than dog, all points proportional ; thus, body, 21 inches ; head, 8
inches ; and tail, 8$ inches. Total, 37$ inches.
2. AVERAGE WEIGHT : Dog— 18 Ib. ; bitch, 16 Ib. No dog should
be over 20 Ib., nor under 16 Ib. ; and no bitch should be over 18 Ib., nor
under 14 Ib.
Whereas the Scottish Club limits the approved length of
coat to 5| inches, the English Club gives a maximum of 9
inches. This is a fairly good allowance, but many of the
breed carry a much longer coat than this. It is not uncommon,
indeed, to find a Skye with a covering of 12 inches in length,
which, even allowing for the round of the body, causes the
hair to reach and often to trail upon the ground.
264 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
The Clydesdale may be described as an anomaly. He stands
as it were upon a pedestal of his own ; and unlike other
Scotch terriers he is classified as non-sporting. Perhaps his
marvellously fine and silky coat precludes him from the rough
work of hunting after vermin, though it is certain his game-
like instincts would naturally lead him to do so. Of all the
Scottish dogs he is perhaps the smallest ; his weight seldom
exceeding 18 Ib. He is thus described by the Skye Terrier
Club of Scotland :—
General Appearance — A long, low, level dog, with heavily fringed
erect ears, and a long coat like the finest silk or spun glass, which hangs
quite straight and evenly down each side, from a parting extending
from the nose to the root of the tail. Head — Fairly long, skull flat
and very narrow between the ears, gradually widening towards the eyes
and tapering very slightly to the nose, which must be black. The jaws
strong and the teeth level. Eyes — Medium in size, dark in colour, not
prominent, but having a sharp, terrier-like expression, eyelids black.
Ears — Small, set very high on the top of the head, carried perfectly
erect, and covered with long silky hah*, hanging in a heavy fringe down
the sides of the head. Body — Long, deep in chest, well ribbed up, the
back being perfectly level. Tall — Perfectly straight, carried almost
level with the back, and heavily feathered. Legs — As short and
straight as possible, well set under the body, and entirely covered with
silky hair. Feet round and cat-like. Coat — As long and straight as
possible, free from all trace of curl or waviness, very glossy and silky
in texture, with an entire absence of undercoat. Colour — A level,
bright steel blue, extending from the back of the head to the root of the
tail, and on no account intermingled with any fawn, light or dark hairs.
The head, legs, and feet should be a clear, bright, golden tan, free from
grey, sooty, or dark hairs. The tail should be very dark blue or black.
The Clydesdale Terrier is rare, at any rate as regards the
show bench ; there are never more than two or three at most
exhibited south of the Tweed, even when classes are provided
at the big shows and championships offered, thus indicating
that the breed is not a popular one ; and amongst those
kennels who do show there exists at the present time but one
dog who can lay claim to the title of champion ; this unique
specimen is the property of Sir Claud Alexander, Bart., of
Ballochmyle, and is known under the name of Wee Wattie.
There are of course several fanciers in Scotland, among whom
may be mentioned Mr. G. Shaw, of Glasgow, who is the owner
THE CLYDESDALE TERRIER 265
of several fine examples of the breed, including beautiful San
Toy and the equally beautiful Mozart.
As with the Skye Terrier, it seems a matter of difficulty
to produce a perfect Clydesdale, and until the breed is taken
up with more energy it is improbable that first class dogs will
make an appearance in the show ring. A perfect Clydesdale
should figure as one of the most elegant of the terrier breed ;
his lovely silken coat, the golden brown hue of his face fringe,
paws and legs, his well pricked and feathery ear, and his
generally smart appearance should combine to form a picture
exciting general admiration.
CHAPTER XLII
THE YORKSHIRE TERRIER
THE most devout lover of this charming and beautiful terrier
would fail if he were to attempt to claim for him the distinction
of_ descent from antiquity. Bradford, and not Babylon,
was his earliest home, and he must be candidly acknowledged
to be a very modern manufactured variety of the dog. Yet
it is important to remember that it was in Yorkshire that
he was made — Yorkshire, where live the cleverest breeders
of dogs that the world has known.
One can roughly reconstitute the process. What the
Yorkshiremen desired to make for themselves was a pigmy,
prick-eared terrier with a long, silky, silvery grey and tan
coat. They already possessed the foundation in the old
English Black and Tan wire-haired Terrier. To lengthen the
coat of this working breed they might very well have had
recourse to a cross with the prick-eared Skye, and to
eliminate the wiry texture of the hair a further cross
with the Maltese dog would impart softness and silkiness
without reducing the length. Again, a cross with the Clydes-
dale, which was then assuming a fixed type, would bring the
variety yet nearer to the ideal, and a return to the black and
tan would tend to conserve the desired colour. In all pro-
bability the Dandie Dinmont had some share in the process.
Evidence of origin is often to be found more distinctly in
puppies than in the mature dog, and it is to be noted that
the'puppies of both the Dandie and the Yorkshire are born with
decided black and tan colouring.
The original broken-haired Yorkshire Terrier of thirty years
266
THE YORKSHIRE TERRIER 267
ago waso ften called a Scottish Terrier, or even a Skye, and
there are many persons who still confound him with the
Clydesdale, whom he somewhat closely resembles. At the
present time he is classified as a toy dog and exhibited almost
solely as such. It is to be regretted that until very lately
the terrier character was being gradually bred out of him,
and that the perkiness, the exuberance and gameness which
once distinguished him as the companion of the Yorkshire
operative, was in danger of being sacrificed to the desire for
diminutive size and inordinate length of coat.
Perhaps it would be an error to blame the breeders of
Yorkshire Terriers for this departure from the original type as it
appeared, say, about 1870. It is necessary to take into
consideration the probability that what is now called the old-
fashioned working variety was never regarded by the Yorkshire-
men who made him as a complete and finished achievement.
It was possibly their idea at the very beginning to produce
just such a diminutive dog as is now to be seen in its perfec-
tion at exhibitions, glorying in its flowing tresses of steel
blue silk and ruddy gold ; and one must give them full credit
for the patience and care with which during the past forty
years they have been steadily working to the fixed design of
producing a dwarfed breed which should excel all other breeds
in the length and silkiness of its robe. The extreme of culti-
vation in this particular quality was reached some years
ago by Mrs. Troughear, whose little dog Conqueror, weighing
5 1 lb., had a beautiful enveloping mantle of the uniform length
of four-and-twenty inches.
Doubtless all successful breeders and exhibitors of the
Yorkshire Terrier have their little secrets and their peculiar
methods of inducing the growth of hair. They regulate the
diet with extreme particularity, keeping the dog lean rather
than fat, and giving him nothing that they would not them-
selves eat. Bread, mixed with green vegetables, a little meat
and gravy, or fresh fish, varied with milk puddings and
Spratt's " Toy Pet " biscuits, should be the staple food.
268 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
Bones ought not to be given, as the act of gnawing them is
apt to mar the beard and moustache. For the same reason
it is well when possible to serve the food from the fingers.
But many owners use a sort of mask or hood of elastic material
which they tie over the dog's head at meal-times to hold back
the long face-fall and whiskers, that would otherwise be smeared
and sullied. Similarly as a protection for the coat, when
there is any skin irritation and an inclination to scratch, linen
or cotton stockings are worn upon the hind feet.
Many exhibitors pretend that they use no dressing, or very
little, and this only occasionally, for the jackets of their
Yorkshire Terriers ; but it is quite certain that continuous
use of grease of some sort is not only advisable but even necess-
ary. Opinions differ as to which is the best cosmetic, but
Hairmero, the dressing prepared for the purpose by Miss
D. Wilmer, of Yoxford, Suffolk, could not easily be improved
upon for this or any other long-coated breed.
For the full display of their beauty, Yorkshire Terriers
depend very much upon careful grooming. It is only by
grooming that the silvery cascade of hair down the dog's
sides and the beautiful tan face-fall that flows like a rain of
gold from his head can be kept perfectly straight and free
from curl or wrinkle ; and no grease or pomade, even if their
use were officially permitted, could impart to the coat the
glistening sheen that is given by the dexterous application of
the brush. The gentle art of grooming is not to be taught
by theory. Practice is the best teacher. But the novice
may learn much by observing the deft methods employed
by an expert exhibitor.
Mr. Peter Eden, of Manchester, is generally credited with
being the actual inventor of the Yorkshire Terrier. He
was certainly one of the earliest breeders and owners, and his
celebrated Albert was only one of the many admirable speci-
mens with which he convinced the public of the charms of this
variety of dog. He may have given the breed its first im-
pulse, but Mrs. M. A. Foster, of Bradford, was for many years
THE YORKSHIRE TERRIER 269
the head and centre of all that pertained to the Yorkshire
Terrier, and it was undoubtedly she who raised the variety to
its highest point of perfection. Her dogs were invariably good in
type. She never exhibited a bad one, and her Huddersfield Ben,
Toy Smart, Bright, Sandy, Ted, Bradford Hero, Bradford
Marie, and Bradford Queen — the last being a bitch weighing
only 24 oz. — are remembered for their uniform excellence.
Of more recent examples that have approached perfection
may be mentioned Mrs. Walton's Ashton King, Queen, and
Bright, and her Mont Thabor Duchess. Mr. Mitchell's
Westbrook Fred has deservedly won many honours, and Mr.
Firmstone's Grand Duke and Mynd Damaris, and Mrs. Sin-
clair's Mascus Superbus, stand high in the estimation of expert
judges of the breed. Perhaps the most beautiful bitch ever
shown was Waveless, the property of Mrs. R. Marshall, the
owner of another admirable bitch in Little Picture. Mrs. W.
Shaw's Ch. Sneinton Amethyst is also an admirable specimen.
The standard of points laid down by the Yorkshire Terrier
Club is as follows : —
General Appearance — That of a long-coated pet dog, the coat hanging
quite straight and evenly down each side, a parting extending from the
nose to the end of the tail. The animal should be very compact and
neat, his carriage being very sprightly ; bearing an air of importance.
Although the frame is hidden beneath a mantle of hair, the general
outline should be such as to suggest the existence of a vigorous and
well-proportioned body. Head — Should be rather small and flat, not
too prominent or round in the skull ; rather broad at the muzzle, with
a perfectly black nose ; the hair on the muzzle very long, which should
be a rich, deep tan, not sooty or grey. Under the chin, long hah*,
about the same colour as on the crown of the head, which should be a
bright, golden tan, and not on any account intermingled with dark or
sooty hairs. Hairs on the sides of the head should be very long, of a
few shades deeper tan than that on the top of the head, especially about
the ear-roots. Eyes — Medium in size, dark in colour, having a sharp,
intelligent expression, and placed so as to look directly forward. They
should not be prominent. The edges of the eyelids should be dark.
Ears — Small, V-shaped, and carried semi-erect, covered with short hair ;
colour to be a deep rich tan. Mouth — Good even mouth ; teeth as
sound as possible. A dog having lost a tooth or two, through accident
or otherwise, is not to disqualify, providing the jaws are even. Body —
Very compact, with a good loin, and level on the top of the back.
Coat — The hair, as long and as straight as possible (not wavy), should
270 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
be glossy, like silk (not woolly), extending from the back of the head
to the root of the tail ; colour, a bright steel blue, and on no account
intermingled with fawn, light or dark hairs. AH tan should be darker
at the roots than at the middle of the hairs, shading off to a still lighter
tan at the tips. Legs — Quite straight, should be of a bright golden tan,
well covered with hair, a few shades lighter at the end than at the roots.
Feet — As round as possible ; toe-nails black. Tall — Cut to medium
length ; with plenty of hair, darker blue than the rest of the body,
especially at the end of the tail, which is carried slightly higher than the
level of the back. Weight — Divided into two classes ; under 5 Ib. and
over 5 Ib. to 12 Ib.
CHAPTER XLIII
THE POMERANIAN
LONG before the Pomeranian dog was common in Great
Britain, this breed was to be met with in many parts of Europe,
especially in Germany ; and he was known under different
names, according to his size and the locality in which he
flourished. The title of Pomeranian is not admitted by the
Germans at all, who claim this as one of their national breeds,
and give it the general name of the German Spitz.
At Athens, in the Street of Tombs, there is a representation
of a little Spitz leaping up to the daughter of a family as she is
taking leave of them, which bears the date equivalent to 56
B.C., and in the British Museum there is an ancient bronze jar
of Greek workmanship, upon which is engraved a group of
winged horses at whose feet there is a small dog of undoubted
Pomeranian type. The date is the second century, B.C.
It is now generally accepted that, wherever our Pomeranian
originated, he is a Northern or Arctic breed. Evidence goes
to show that his native land in prehistoric times was the land
of the Samoyedes, in the north of Siberia, along the shores of
the Arctic Ocean. The Samoyede dog is being gradually intro-
duced into England, and good specimens can be frequently
seen at the principal shows. The similarity between our
large white Pomeranian and the Samoyede is too great to be
accidental. And we are drawn to the conclusion that in
prehistoric times a migration of the Samoyedes was made from
their native land into Pomerania, the most eastern province
of Prussia bordering on the Baltic Sea, and that these people
took with them their dogs, which were the progenitors of the
present race of Pomeranian or Spitz.
271
272 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
But in any case the Pomeranian dog, so called, has been a
native of various parts of Europe from very early times. His
advent into England has been of comparatively recent date,
at least in any great numbers, so far as can be ascertained,
since no ancient records exist on this question. Gainsborough,
however, painted the famous actress, Mrs. Robinson, with a
large white Pomeranian sitting by her side.
In Rees' Encyclopedia, published in 1816, a good picture
of a white Pomeranian is given with a fairly truthful des-
cription. In this work he is said to be " larger than the
common sheep dog." Rees gives his name as Canis Pomer-
anius, from Linnaeus, and Chien Loup, from Buffon. From
these examples, therefore, we may infer that the large Pomer-
anian, or Wolf Spitz, was already known in England towards
the end of the eighteenth century at least. There are, how-
ever, no systematic registers of Pomeranians prior to the year
1870.
Even ten years later than this last date, so little was the
breed appreciated that a well-known writer on dogs began an
article on the Pomeranian with the words " The Pomeranian
is admittedly one of the least interesting dogs in existence,
and consequently his supporters are few and far
between."
The founders of the Kennel Club held their first dog show
in 1870, and in that year only three Pomeranians were exhi-
bited. For the next twenty years little or no permanent
increase occurred in the numbers of Pomeranians entered at
the chief dog show in England. The largest entry took place
in 1881, when there were fifteen ; but in 1890 there was not a
single Pomeranian shown. From this time, however, the
numbers rapidly increased. Commencing in 1891 with
fourteen, increasing in 1901 to sixty, it culminated in 1905
with the record number of one hundred and twenty-five.
Such a rapid advance between the years 1890 and 1905 is
unprecedented in the history of dog shows, although it is
right to add that this extraordinarily rapid rise into popularity
THE POMERANIAN 273
has since been equalled in the case of the now fashionable
Pekinese.
This tendency to advancement in public favour was con-
temporaneous with the formation of the Pomeranian Club of
England, which was founded in 1891, and through its fostering
care the Pomeranian has reached a height of popularity far in
advance of that attained by any other breed of toy dog.
One of the first acts of the club was to draw up a standard of
points as follows : —
Appearance — The Pomeranian should be a compact, short coupled
dog, well knit in frame. He should exhibit great intelligence in his
expression, and activity and buoyancy in his deportment. Head and
Nose — Should be foxy in outline or wedge-shaped, the skull being
slightly flat, large in proportion to the muzzle, which should finish
rather fine and free from lippiness. The teeth should be level, and
should on no account be undershot. The hair on the head and face
should be smooth and short-coated. The nose should be black in
white, orange and sable dogs ; but in other colours may be self, but
never parti-colour or white. Ears — Should be small, not set too far
apart, nor too low down, but carried perfectly erect like those of a fox,
and, like the head, should be covered with short, soft hair. Eyes —
Should be medium in size, not full, nor set too wide apart, bright and
dark in colour, showing great intelligence ; in white, shaded sable, or
orange dogs the rims round the eyes should be black. Neck and Body
— The neck should be rather short, well set in. The back must be short
and the body compact, being well ribbed up and the barrel well rounded.
The chest must be fairly deep and not too wide, but in proportion to the
size of the dog. Legs — The fore-legs must be well feathered, perfectly
straight, of medium length, and not such as would be termed " leggy "
or " low " on leg, but in due proportion in length and strength to a
well-balanced frame. Must be fine in bone and free in action. The
hind-legs and thighs must be well feathered, neither contracted nor
wide behind ; the feet small and compact in shape. Shoulders should
be clean, and well laid back. Tail — The tail is one of the characteristics
of the breed, and should be turned over the back and carried flat and
straight, being profusely covered with long, harsh, spreading hair.
Coat — There should be two coats, an undercoat and an overcoat ; the
one a soft fluffy undercoat, the other a long, perfectly straight coat,
harsh in texture, covering the whole of the body, being very abundant
round the neck and fore part of the shoulders and chest where it should
form a frill of profuse standing off straight hair, extending over the
shoulders. The hind-quarters should be clad with long hair or feather-
ing, from the top of the rump to the hock. Colour — All whole colours
are admissible, but they should be free from white or shadings, and the
whites must be quite free from lemon or any other colour. A few
white hairs in any of the self colours shall not necessarily disqualify.
At present the whole coloured dogs are : — White, black, brown (light
274 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
or dark), blue (as pale as possible), orange (which should be as deep and
even in colour as possible), beaver, or cream. Dogs, other than white,
with white foot or feet, leg or legs, are decidedly objectionable and
should be discouraged, and cannot compete as whole coloured specimens.
In parti-coloured dogs the colours should be evenly distributed on the
body in patches ; a dog with white or tan feet or chest would not be a
parti-colour. Shaded sables should be shaded throughout with three
or more colours, the hairs to be as " uniformly shaded " as possible,
with no patches of self colour. In mixed classes where whole coloured
and parti-coloured Pomeranians compete together, the preference
should, if in other points they are equal, be given to the whole coloured
specimens. Where classification is not by colours the following is
recommended for adoption by show committees : — 1. Not exceeding
7 Ib. (Pomeranian Miniatures). 2. Exceeding 7 Ib. (Pomeranians).
3. Pomeranians and Pomeranian Miniatures mixed.
The early type of a Pomeranian was that of a dog varying
from 10 Ib. or 12 Ib. weight up to 20 Ib. weight, or even more,
and some few of about 12 Ib. and over are still to be met with ;
but the tendency among present-day breeders is to get them
as small as possible, so that diminutive specimens weighing
less than 5 Ib. are now quite common, and always fetch higher
prices than the heavier ones. The dividing weight, as arranged
some ten years ago by the Pomeranian Club, is 8 Ib., and the
Kennel Club has recently divided the breed into two classes
of Pomeranians and Pomeranians Miniature.
As a rule the white specimens adhere more nearly to the
primitive type, and are generally over 8 Ib. in weight, but
through the exertions of many breeders, several are now to be
seen under this limit.
The principal breeders of this colour in England to-day are
Miss Hamilton of Rozelle, Miss Chell, Miss Lee-Roberts, Mrs.
Pope, and Mrs. Goodall-Copestake. The first two whites to
become full champions under Kennel Club rules were Rob of
Rozelle and Konig of Rozelle, both belonging to Miss Hamilton
of Rozelle.
More black Pomeranians have been bred in England than of
any other colour, and during the last fifteen years the number
of good specimens that have appeared at our great exhibitions
has been legion. There do not seem to be so many really
good ones to-day as heretofore ; this is explained, perhaps,
THE POMERANIAN 275
by the fact that other colours are now receiving more and
more attention from breeders. A typical small black of to-
day is Billie Tee, the property of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Mappin.
He scales only 5j lb., and is therefore, as to size and weight
as well as shape, style, and smartness of action, a good type
of a toy Pomeranian. He was bred by Mrs. Gates, and is the
winner of over fifty prizes and many specials. To enumerate
all the first-class blacks during the last thirty years would be
impossible, but those which stand out first and foremost
have been Black Boy, King Pippin, Kaffir Boy, Bayswater
Swell, Kensington King, Marland King, Black Prince, Hatcham
Nip, Walkley Queenie, Viva, Gateacre Zulu, Glympton King
Edward, and Billie Tee.
The brown variety has for a long time been an especial
favourite with the public, and many good ones have been bred
during the last ten years. There are many different shades of
browns, varying from a dark chocolate to a light beaver, but
in all cases they should be whole-coloured.
An admirable example of the brown Pomeranians is the
incomparable Ch. Tina. This beautiful little lady was bred by
Mrs. Addis from Bayswater Swell ex Kitsey, and scaled a little
under 5 lb. She won over every Pomeranian that competed
against her, besides having been many times placed over all
other dogs of any breed in open competition.
The shaded sables are among the prettiest of all the various
colours which Pomeranians may assume. They must be
shaded throughout with three or more colours, as uniformly
as possible, with no patches of self-colour. They are be-
coming very popular, and good specimens are much sought
after at high prices. Mrs. Hall- Walker has been constant
in her devotion to this variety for several years, and she
possesses a very fine team in Champions Dainty Boy, Dainty
Belle, Bibury Belle, and in Gateacre Sable Sue. Mrs. Vale
Nicolas also has recently been most successful with shaded
sables. Ch. Nanky Po, over 8 lb., and Champions Sable Mite
and Atom bear witness to this statement. Her lovely Mite
276 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
is a typical example of a small Pomeranian of this colour. He
was bred by Mr. Hirst, by Little Nipper ex Laurel Fluffie,
and scales only 4$ Ib. Mention should also be made of Miss
Ives' Dragon Fly, Mrs. Boutcher's Lady Wolfino, Miss Bland's
Marland Topaz, Mr. Walter Winans' Morning Light, and Mr.
Fowler's May Duchess.
The blues, or smoke-coloured Pomeranians, have likewise
their admirers, and among those who have taken up these as
a speciality may be mentioned Miss Ives, Mrs. Parker, Mrs.
Loy, and Miss Ruby Cooke.
Another colour which has attained of late years increasing
popularity in England is orange. These should be self-
coloured throughout, and light shadings, though not dis-
qualifying, should be discouraged. The principal breeder of
the orange Pomeranian to-day is Mr. W. Brown, of Raleigh,
Essex, who has probably more specimens in his kennels than
any other breeder of this colour. Tiny Boy, The Boy, and
Orange Boy are his best, and all three are approved sires.
Mrs. Hall- Walker is an admirer of this colour, and her Gateacre
Philander, Lupino, and Orange Girl are great prize-winners.
Miss Hamilton of Rozelle has for many years bred " oranges,"
and has given to the Pomeranian Club, of which she is Presi-
dent, two challenge cups for Pomeranians of this colour.
Mrs. Birch also is a lover of this hue, and possesses such good
dogs as Rufus Rusticus and Cheriwinkle.
There is still another variety which bears the name of parti-
coloured. As the name implies, these dogs must be of more
than one colour, and the colours should be evenly distributed
on the body in patches ; for example, a black dog with a
white foot or leg or chest would not be a parti-colour. As a
matter of fact, there have been bred in England very few parti-
coloured Pomeranians ; they seem to be freaks which are rarely
produced. It does not follow that by mating a black dog to a
white bitch, or vice versa, a parti-coloured will be necessarily
obtained ; on the contrary, it is more likely that the litter
will consist of some whole-coloured blacks, and some whole-
THE POMERANIAN 277
coloured whites. Miss Hamilton's Maf eking of Rozelle,
and Mrs. Vale Nicolas's Shelton Novelty, are the two most
prominent specimens at the present time, although Mrs.
Harcourt-Clare's Magpie and Mr. Temple's Leyswood Tom Tit
were perhaps better known some time ago.
Among toy dogs this particular breed has enjoyed an un-
precedented popularity ; the growth in the public favour
among all classes has been gradual and permanent during the
last fifteen years, and there are no signs that it is losing its
hold on the love and affection of a large section of the English
people. His handsome appearance, his activity, and hardi-
hood, his devotedness to his owner, his usefulness as a house-
dog, and his many other admirable qualities will always make
the Pomeranian a favourite both in the cottage and in the
palace.
CHAPTER XLIV
THE KING CHARLES SPANIELS
IN the fourth chapter of Macaulay's History of England
we read of King Charles II. that " he might be seen before the
dew was off the grass in St. James's Park, striding among the
trees playing with his Spaniels and flinging corn to his ducks,
and these exhibitions endeared him to the common people,
who always like to see the great unbend."
Queen Elizabeth's physician, Dr. Caius, described these
little Spaniels as " delicate, neate, and pretty kind of dogges,
called the Spaniel gentle or the comforter," and further said :
" These dogges are little, pretty, proper, and fyne, and sought
for to satisfie the delicatenesse of daintie dames and wanton
women's wills, instruments of folly for them to play and dally
withall, to tryfle away the treasure of time, to withdraw their
mindes from their commendable exercises. These puppies the
smaller they be, the more pleasure they provoke as more meete
playfellowes for minsing mistrisses to beare in their bosoms,
to keepe company withall in their chambers, to succour with
sleepe in bed, and nourishe with meate at board, to lie in their
lappes, and licke their lippes as they ryde in their waggons,
and good reason it should be so, for coursenesse with fynenesse
hath no fellowship, but featnesse with neatnesse hath neigh-
bourhood enough."
There would appear to be much divergence of opinion
as to the origin of this breed, and the date of its first appear-
ance in England, but it was certainly acclimatised here
as early as the reign of Henry VIII., and it is generally thought
that it is of Japanese origin, taken from Japan to Spain by
278
THE KING CHARLES SPANIELS 279
the early voyagers to the East, and thence imported into
England. The English Toy Spaniels of to-day, especially the
Blenheim variety, are also said by some to be related to some
sporting Spaniels which belonged to Queen Mary about the
year 1555, and might have been brought over from Germany.
Mary kept a pack of Spaniels for hunting purposes.
There is another theory advanced, and with some reason
that the English Toy Spaniel of the present day derived its
origin from the Cocker Spaniel, as these larger dogs have the
same colours and markings, black and tan, tricolour, and red
and white. The Cocker also occasionally has the spot on the
forehead which is a characteristic of the Blenheim.
Be the origin of the King Charles Spaniel, and its advent in
this country, what it may, King Charles II. so much indulged
and loved these little friends that they followed him hither and
thither as they pleased, and seem to have been seldom sepa-
rated from him. By him they were loved and cherished, and
brought into great popularity ; in his company they adorn
canvas and ancient tapestries, and are reputed to have been
allowed free access at all times to Whitehall, Hampton Court,
and other royal palaces.
There are now four recognised varieties of the English Toy
Spaniel, or, more properly speaking, five, as the Marlborough
Blenheims are considered a distinct type. The latter are said
by some to be the oldest of the Toy Spaniels ; by others to
have been first brought over from Spain during the reign of
Charles II. by John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough,
from whose home, Blenheim Palace, the name was derived, and
has ever since been retained.
If we may take the evidence of Vandyck, Watteau, Francois
Boucher, and Greuze, in whose pictures they are so frequently
introduced, all the toy Spaniels of bygone days had much
longer noses and smaller, flatter heads than those of the
present time, and they had much longer ears, these in many
instances dragging on the ground.
The Marlborough Blenheim has retained several of the
28o DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
ancestral points. Although this variety is of the same family,
and has the same name, as the short-nosed Blenheim of
the present day, there is a great deal of difference between the
two types. The Marlborough is higher on the legs, which
need not be so fully feathered. He has a much longer muzzle
and a flatter and more contracted skull. The Marlborough
possesses many of the attributes of a sporting Spaniel ; but
so also does the modern Blenheim, although perhaps in a
lesser degree. He has a very good scent. Mr. Rawdon B.
Lee states that " the Blenheims of Marlborough were excellent
dogs to work the coverts for cock and pheasant, and that
excepting in colour there is in reality not much difference
in appearance between the older orange and white dogs (not
as they are to-day, with their abnormally short noses, round
skulls, and enormous eyes), and the liver and white Cockers
which H. B. Chalon drew for Daniel's Rural Sports in 1801."
This will bear out the statement that the smaller type of
Spaniel may be descended from the Cockers.
The ground colour of this dog is white, with chestnut
encircling the ears to the muzzle, the sides of the neck are
chestnut, as are also the ears. There is a white blaze on the
forehead, in the centre of which should be a clear lozenge-
shaped chestnut spot, called the beauty spot, which by in-
breeding with other varieties is fast being lost. Chestnut
markings are on the body and on the sides of the hind-legs.
The coat should incline to be curly ; the head must be flat,
not broad, and the muzzle should be straight. The chestnut
should be of a rich colour.
The four varieties — the King Charles, Tricolour or (as he has
been called) Charles I. Spaniel, the modern Blenheim, and the
Ruby — have all the same points, differing from one another in
colour only, and the following description of the points as
determined by the Toy Spaniel Club serves for all : —
Head — Should be well domed, and in good specimens is absolutely
semi-globular, sometimes even extending beyond the half-circle, and
projecting over the eyes, so as nearly to meet the upturned nose. Eyes
THE KING CHARLES SPANIELS 281
— The eyes are set wide apart, with the eyelids square to the line of the
face, not oblique or fox-like. The eyes themselves are large, and dark
as possible, so as to be generally considered black, their enormous
pupils, which are absolutely of that colour, increasing the description.
There is always a certain amount of weeping shown at the inner angles.
This is owing to a defect in the lachrymal duct. Stop — The " stop "
or hollow between the eyes is well marked, as in the Bulldog, or even
more so ; some good specimens exhibit a hollow deep enough to bury
a small marble. Nose — The nose must be short and well turned up
between the eyes, and without any indication of artificial displacement
afforded by a deviation to either side. The colour of the end should
be black, and it should be both deep and wide with open nostrils.
Jaw — The muzzle must be square and deep, and the lower jaw wide
between the branches, leaving plenty of space for the tongue, and
for the attachment of the lower lips, which should completely conceal
the teeth. It should also be turned up or " finished," so as to allow of
its meeting the end of the upper jaw turned up in a similar way, as above
described. Ears — The ears must be long, so as to approach the ground.
In an average-sized dog they measure twenty inches from tip to tip,
and some reach twenty-two inches, or even a trifle more. They should
be set low on the head, hang flat to the sides of the cheeks, and be
heavily feathered. In this last respect the King Charles is expected to
exceed the Blenheim, and his ears occasionally extend to twenty-four
inches. Size — The most desirable size is indicated by the accepted
weight of from 7 Ib. to 10 Ib. Shape — In compactness of shape these
Spaniels almost rival the Pug, but the length of coat adds greatly
to the apparent bulk, as the body, when the coat is wetted, looks
small in comparison with that dog. Still, it ought to be decidedly
" cobby," with strong, stout legs, short broad back and wide chest.
The symmetry of the King Charles is of importance, but it is seldom
that there is any defect in this respect. Coat — The coat should be
long, silky, soft and wavy, but not curly. In the Blenheim there
should be a profuse mane, extending well down in the front of the
chest. The feather should be well displayed on the ears and feet, and
in the latter case so thickly as to give the appearance of their being
webbed. It is also carried well up the backs of the legs. In the Black
and Tan the feather on the ears is very long and profuse, exceeding that
of the Blenheim by an inch or more. The feather on the tail (which
is cut to the length of three and a half to four inches) should be silky,
and from five to six inches in length, constituting a marked " flag "
of a square shape, and not carried above the level of the back. Colour
— The colour differs with the variety. The Black and Tan is a rich
glossy black and deep mahogany tan ; tan spots over the eyes, and the
usual markings on the muzzle, chest, and legs are also required. The
Ruby is a rich chestnut red, and is whole-coloured. The presence of a
few white hairs intermixed with the black on the chest of a Black and
Tan, or intermixed with the red on the chest of a Ruby Spaniel, shall
carry weight against a dog, but shall not in itself absolutely disqualify ;
but a white patch on the chest or white on any other part of a Black
and Tan or Ruby Spaniel shall be a disqualification. The Blenheim
must on no account be whole-coloured, but should have a ground of
282 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
pure pearly white, with bright rich chestnut or ruby red markings
evenly distributed in large patches. The ears and cheeks should be
red, with a blaze of white extending from the nose up the forehead, and
ending between the ears in a crescentic curve. In the centre of this
blaze at the top of the forehead there should be a clear " spot " of red,
of the size of a sixpence. Tan ticks on the fore-legs and on the white
muzzle are desirable. The Tricolour should in part have the tan of the
Black and Tan, with markings like the Blenheim in black instead
of red on a pearly-white ground. The ears and under the tail should
also be lined with tan. The Tricolour has no " spot," that beauty being
peculiarly the property of the Blenheim. The All Red King Charles
is known by the name of " Ruby Spaniel " ; the colour of the nose is
black. The points of the " Ruby " are the same as those of the " Black
and Tan/' differing only in colour.
The King Charles variety used to consist of black and tan
and black and white Spaniels, and it is thought that by the
inter-breeding of the two specimens the Tricolour was pro-
duced. The colour of the King Charles now is a glossy black
with rich mahogany tan spots over the eyes and on the
cheeks. There should also be some tan on the legs and under
the tail.
The Prince Charles, or Tricolour, should have a pearly-white
ground with glossy black markings evenly distributed over
the body in patches. The ears should be lined with tan ;
tan must also be seen over the eyes, and some on the cheeks.
Under the tail also tan must appear.
The Blenheim must also have a pearly- white ground with
bright rich chestnut or ruby red markings evenly distributed
in patches over the body. The ears and cheeks must be red,
and a white blaze should stretch from the nose to the forehead
and thence in a curve between the ears. In the middle of the
forehead there should be, on the white blaze, a clear red spot
about the size of a sixpence. This is called the " Blenheim
spot," which, as well as the profuse mane, adds greatly to the
beauty of this particular Toy Spaniel. Unfortunately, in a
litter of Blenheims the spot is often wanting.
The Ruby Spaniel is of one colour, a rich, unbroken red.
The nose is black. There are now some very beautiful speci-
mens of Ruby Spaniels, but it is only within the last quarter of
THE KING CHARLES SPANIELS 283
a century that this variety has existed. It seems to have
originally appeared in a litter of King Charles puppies, when
it was looked upon as a freak of nature, taking for its entire
colour only the tan markings and losing the black ground.
The different varieties of Toy Spaniels have been so much
interbred that a litter has been reputed to contain the four
kinds, but this would be of very rare occurrence. The Blen-
heim is now often crossed with the Tricolour, when the litter
consist of puppies quite true to the two types. The crossing
of the King Charles with the Ruby is also attended with very
good results, the tan markings on the King Charles becoming
very bright and the colour of the Ruby also being improved.
Neither of these specimens should be crossed with either
the Blenheim or the Tricolour, as white must not appear ia
either the King Charles or the Ruby Spaniel.
It is regretted by some of the admirers of these dogs that
custom has ordained that their tails should be docked. As
portrayed in early pictures of the King Charles and the
Blenheim varieties, the tails are long, well flagged, and
inclined to curve gracefully over the back, and in none of the
pictures of the supposed ancestors of our present Toy
Spaniels — even so recent as those painted by Sir Edwin
Landseer — do we find an absence of the long tail.
If left intact, the tail would take two or three years to attain
perfection, but the same may be said of the dog generally,,
which improves very much with age, and is not at its best until
it is three years old, and even then continues to improve.
Although the Toy Spaniels are unquestionably true aristo-
crats by nature, birth, and breeding, and are most at home in
a drawing-room or on a well-kept lawn, they are by no means
deficient in sporting proclivities, and, in spite of their short
noses, their scent is very keen. They thoroughly enjoy a
good scamper, and are all the better for not being too much
pampered. They are very good house-dogs, intelligent
and affectionate, and have sympathetic, coaxing little ways.
One point in their favour is the fact that they are not noisy,.
284 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
and do not yap continually when strangers go into a room
where they are, or at other times, as is the habit with some
breeds of toy dogs.
Those who have once had King Charles Spaniels as pets
seldom care to replace them by any other variety of dog,
fearing lest they might not find in another breed such engaging
little friends and companions, " gentle " as of yore and also
" comforters."
Although these dogs need care, they possess great powers of
endurance. They appreciate warmth and comfort, but do not
thrive so well in either extreme heat or intense cold. One
thing to be avoided is the wetting of their feathered feet, or,
should this happen, allowing them to remain so ; and, as in
the case of all dogs with long ears, the interior of the ears
should be carefully kept dry to avoid the risk of canker.
In going back to a period long before the last century was
half-way through, we find that a great number of these orna-
mental pets were in the hands of working men living in the
East End of London, and the competition among them to
own the best was very keen. They held miniature dog shows
at small taverns, and paraded their dogs on the sanded floor
of tap-rooms, their owners sitting around smoking long church-
warden pipes. The value of good specimens in those early
days appears to have been from £5 to £250, which latter sum
is said to have been refused by a comparatively poor man for
a small black and tan with very long ears, and a nose much
too long for our present-day fancy. Among the names of some
old prominent breeders and exhibitors may be mentioned those
of C. Aistrop, J. Garwood, J. A. Buggs, and Mrs. Forder.
It is interesting to note, on looking over a catalogue of the
Kennel Club Show, that in 1884 the classes for Toy Spaniels
numbered five, with two championship prizes, one each for
Blenheims and Black and Tans, and the total entries were 19.
At this date neither Tricolours nor Rubies were recognised as
a separate variety by the Kennel Cub, and they had no place
:in the register of breeds until the year 1902. At the Kennel
THE KING CHARLES SPANIELS 285
Club show in 1904 thirty-one classes were provided and eight
challenge certificate prizes were given, the entries numbering
109.
The formation of the Toy Spaniel Club in 1885, and the
impetus given to breeders and exhibitors by the numerous
shows with good classification, have caused this beautiful
breed to become more popular year by year. Fifty years ago
the owners might be almost counted on the fingers of one's
hands ; now probably the days of the year would hardly cover
them.
Among the most successful exhibitors of late years have
been the Hon. Mrs. McLaren Morrison, the Hon. Mrs. Lytton,
Mrs. Graves, Mrs. L. H. Thompson, Miss Young, Mrs. H. B.
Looker, Mrs. Privette, Miss Hall, the Misses Clarkson and
Grantham, Mrs. Dean, Mr. H. Taylor, Mrs. Bright, Mrs.
Adamson, Miss Spofforth, Mrs. Hope Paterson, Mrs. Lydia
Jenkins, and Miss E. Taylor.
The novice fancier, desirous of breeding for profit, exhibition,
or pleasure, when price is an object for consideration, is often
better advised to purchase a healthy puppy from a breeder of
repute rather than to be deluded with the notion that a good
adult can be purchased for a few pounds, or to be carried away
with the idea that a cheap, indifferently bred specimen will
produce first-class stock. It takes years to breed out bad
points, but good blood will tell.
When you are purchasing a bitch with the intention of
breeding, many inquiries should be made as to the stock from
which she comes. This will influence the selection of the sire
to whom she is to be mated, and he should excel in the points
in which she is deficient. It is absolutely necessary to have
perfectly healthy animals, and if the female be young, and small
stock is desired, her mate should be several years her senior.
A plain specimen of the right blood is quite likely to produce
good results to the breeder ; for example, should there be two
female puppies in a well-bred litter, one remarkable as
promising to have all the requirements for a coming champion,
286 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
the other large and plain, this latter should be selected for
breeding purposes as, being stronger, she will make a better
and more useful mother than her handsome sister, who
should be kept for exhibition, or for sale at a remunerative price.
The modern craze for small specimens makes them quite
unsuitable for procreation. A brood bitch should not be less
than 9 Ib. in weight, and even heavier is preferable. A sire
the same size will produce small and far more typical stock
than one of 5 Ib. or 6 Ib., as the tendency is to degenerate,
especially in head points ; but small size can be obtained by
suitably selecting the parents.
The early spring is the best season for breeding, as it gives
the puppies a start of at least six months in which to grow and
get strong before the cold weather sets in, although, of course,
they can be bred at any time, but autumn and winter puppies
are more troublesome to rear. It is always wise to administer
occasionally, both to puppies and adults, a dose of worm
medicine, so as to give no chance to internal parasites — the
most troublesome ill with which the dog owner has to wrestle,
causing even more mortality than the dreaded scourge of
distemper.
The rules of hygiene cannot be overlooked, as upon them
hangs the success of the breeder ; plenty of fresh air, light,
and sunshine are as necessary as food. Puppies of this breed
are essentially delicate, and must be kept free from cold and
draughts, but they require liberty and freedom to develop and
strengthen their limbs, otherwise they are liable to develop
rickets. Their food should be of the best quality, and after the
age of six months, nothing seems more suitable than stale brown
bred, cut up dice size, and moistened with good stock gravy,
together with minced, lean, underdone roast beef, with the
addition, two or three times a week, of a little well-cooked green
vegetable, varied with rice or suet pudding and plain biscuits.
Fish may also be given occasionally.
When only two or three dogs are kept, table scraps will
generally be sufficient, but the pernicious habit of feeding at all
THE KING CHARLES SPANIELS 287
times, and giving sweets, pastry, and rich dainties, is most
harmful, and must produce disastrous results to the unfortun-
ate animal. Two meals a day at regular intervals are quite
sufficient to keep these little pets in the best condition, although
puppies should be fed four times daily in small quantities.
After leaving the mother they will thrive better if put on dry
food, and a small portion of scraped or finely minced lean meat
given them every other day, alternately with a chopped hard-
boiled egg and stale bread-crumbs.
CHAPTER XLV
THE PEKINESE AND THE JAPANESE
FEW of the many breeds of foreign dogs now established in
England have attained such a measure of popularity in so
short a time as the Pekinese. Of their early history little is
known, beyond the fact that at the looting of the Summer
Palace of Pekin, in 1860, bronze effigies of these dogs, known to
be more than two thousand years old, were found within the
sacred precincts. The dogs were, and are to this day, jealously
guarded under the supervision of the Chief Eunuch of the
Court, and few have ever found their way into the outer
world.
So far as the writer is aware, the history of the breed in
England dates from the importation in 1860 of five dogs taken
from the Summer Palace, where they had, no doubt, been
forgotten on the flight of the Court to the interior. Admiral
Lord John Hay, who was present on active service, gives a
graphic account of the finding of these little dogs in a part of
the garden frequented by an aunt of the Emperor, who had
committed suicide on the approach of the Allied Forces.
Lord John and another naval officer, a cousin of the late
Duchess of Richmond's, each secured two dogs ; the fifth
was taken by General Dunne, who presented it to Queen
Victoria. Lord John took pains to ascertain that none had
found their way into the French camp, and he heard then that
the others had all been removed to Jehal with the Court.
It is therefore reasonable to suppose that these five were the
only Palace dogs, or Sacred Temple dogs of Pekin, which
reached England, and it is from the pair which lived to a
288
Miss STEEVENS' TYPICAL JAPANESE
PLPPV
Photograph by 7 . Fall
MRS. VALE NICOLAS'S POMERANIAN
CH. THE SAKLE MITE
Photograph by T. Fall
Miss M. A. BLAND'S POMKRANIAN
CH. MARLAND KING
Photograph by Russell
LADY HULTON'S BLENHEIM CH. JOY
THE HON. MRS. LYTTON'S KING CHARLES
CH. THE SERAPH
TOY DOGS
THE PEKINESE 289
respectable'old age at Goodwood that so many of the breed
now in England trace their descent.
Many years ago Mr. Alfred de Rothschild tried, through his
agents in China, to secure a specimen of the Palace dog for the
writer, in order to carry on the Goodwood strain, but without
success, even after a correspondence with Pekin which lasted
more than two years ; but we succeeded in obtaining con-
firmation of what we had always understood : namely, that
the Palace dogs are rigidly guarded, and that their theft is
punishable by death. At the time of the Boxer Rebellion
only Spaniels, Pugs, and Poodles were found in the Imperial
Palace when it was occupied by the Allied Forces, the little
dogs having once more preceded the court in the flight to
Si-gnanfu.
The Duchess of Richmond occasionally gave away a dog
to intimate friends, such as the Dowager Lady Wharncliffe,
Lady Dorothy Nevill, and others, but in those days the Pekinese
was practically an unknown quantity, and it can therefore be
more readily understood what interest was aroused about
eleven years ago by the appearance of a small dog, similar in
size, colour, and general type to those so carefully cherished
at Goodwood. This proved to be none other than the since
well-known sire Ah Cum, owned by Mrs. Douglas Murray,
whose husband, having extensive interests in China, had
managed after many years to secure a true Palace dog,
smuggled in a box of hay, placed inside a crate which
contained Japanese deer !
Ah Cum was mated without delay to two Goodwood bitches,
the result being, in the first litters, Ch. Goodwood Lo and
Goodwood Put-Sing. To these three sires, some of the bluest
Pekinese blood is traceable, vide Ch. Goodwood Chum, Ch.
Chu-Erh of Alderbourne, Ch. Gia-Gia, Manchu Tao-Tai,
Goodwood Ming, Marland Myth, and others.
It must, however, be clearly admitted that since the popu-
larity of the breed has become established we unluckily see
scores of Pekinese in the show-ring who have lost all
T
29o DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
resemblance to the original type, and for this the Pekinese
Club is in some measure to blame. The original points for the
guidance of breeders and judges were drawn up by Lady
Samuelson, Mrs. Douglas Murray, and Lady Algernon Gordon-
Lennox, who fixed the maximum size at 10 Ib. — a very gener-
ous margin. Since then the club has amended the scale of
points, no doubt in order to secure a larger membership, and
the maximum now stands at 18 Ib.
Is it therefore to be wondered at that confusion exists as to
what is the true type ? At shows there should be two distinct
classes ; the Palace dog and the Pekin Spaniel, or any
other name which would enable the breeds to be kept
distinct.
The following is the scale of points as issued by the Pekinese
Club :—
Head — Massive, broad skull, wide and flat between the ears (not
dome shaped) ; wide between the eyes. Note— Black, broad, very
short and flat. Eyes — Large, dark, prominent, round, lustrous.
Stop— Deep. Ears — Heart-shaped ; not set too high ; leather never
long enough to come below the muzzle ; not carried erect, but rather
drooping, long feather. Muni*— Very short and broad ; not under-
hung nor pointed ; wrinkled. Mane— Profuse, extending beyond
shoulder blades, forming ruff or frill round front of neck. Shape of
Body — Heavy in front ; broad chest falling away lighter behind ;
lion-like ; not too long in the body. Coat and Feather and Condition —
Long, with thick undercoat ; straight and flat, not curly nor wavy ;
rather coarse but soft ; feather on thighs, legs, tail and toes, long and
profuse. Colour — All colours allowable, red, fawn, black, black and
tan, sable, brindle, white and parti-coloured. Black masks, and
spectacles round the eyes, with lines to the ears, are desirable. Legs —
Short ; fore-legs heavy, bowed out at elbows ; hind-legs lighter, but
firm and well shaped. Feet — Flat, not round ; should stand well up
on toes, not on ankles. Tail — Curled and carried well up on loins ;
long, profuse straight feather. Size — Being a toy dog the smaller the
better, provided type and points are not sacrificed. Anything over
18 Ib. should disqualify. When divided by weight, classes should be
over 10 Ib., and under 10 Ib. Action — Free, strong and high ; crossing
feet or throwing them out in running should not take off marks ; weak-
ness of joints should be penalised.
Lady Algernon Gordon-Lennox has occasionally been criti-
cised for her advocacy of whole-coloured specimens, but in
support of this preference it can be proved that the original
pair brought to Goodwood, as well as Mrs. Murray's Ah Cum,
THE PEKINESE 291
were all of the golden chestnut shade ; and, as no brindled,
parti-coloured, or black dog has ever been born at Goodwood
or Broughton, we have some authority for looking upon whole-
colour as an important point. This view was in the first place
confirmed by the late Chinese Ambassador in London, and
further by Baron Speck von Sternberg, who was for many
years Minister at Pekin and had very special facilities for
noting the points of the Palace dogs.
In every case a black muzzle is indispensable, also black
points to the ears, with trousers, tail and feathering a some-
what lighter shade than the body. There is considerable
divergence of opinion as to the penalisation of what, in other
breeds, is known as a " Dudley " nose, but on this point there
must be some difficulty at shows ; in the Pekinese the colour
of the nose varies in a remarkable way, especially in the case
of the bitches. For instance, a pinkish tinge was always
visible on the nose of Goodwood Meh before the birth of her
puppies ; but it resumed its normal colour when the puppies
were a few weeks old. As a representative type, Chu-Erh of
Alderbourne resembles most nearly the old Goodwood dogs.
He has the same square, cobby appearance, broad chest,
bowed legs, profuse feather, and large, lustrous eyes — points
which are frequently looked for in vain nowadays — and his
breeder and owner may well be proud of him.
The Pekinese differs from the Japanese dog in that it appears
to be far stronger in constitution, and withstands the changes
of the English climate with much greater ease ; in fact, they
are as hardy, under healthy conditions, as any English breed,
and the only serious trouble seems to be the weakness which is
developing in the eyes. Small abscesses frequently appear
when the puppies are a few months old, and, although they
may not affect the sight, they almost inevitably leave a bluish
mark, while in some cases the eye itself becomes contracted.
Whether this is one of the results of in-breeding it is difficult
to say, and it would be of interest to know whether the same
trouble is met with in China.
292 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
The Pekinese bitches are excellent mothers, provided they
are not interfered with for the first few days. This was
discovered at Goodwood years ago by the fact that, on
two or three occasions, one Celestial lady, who had been given
greater attention than she considered necessary, revenged
herself by devouring her own family of puppies ! One thing
seems from experience to be especially advisable — as far as
can be arranged, to breed in the spring rather than autumn.
The puppies need all the open air and exercise that is possible,
and where rickety specimens are so frequently met with it is
only natural that a puppy who starts life with the summer
months ahead is more likely to develop well than one born in
the autumn. Great attention should be paid with reference
to the frequent — almost certain — presence of worms, which
trouble seems more prevalent with Pekinese than with any
other breed. Wherever possible, fish should be given as part
of the dietary ; some Pekinese devour it with relish ; others
will not touch it, but there is no doubt it is a useful item in
the bill of fare. Bread well soaked in very strong stock,
sheep's head, and liver are always better as regular diet than
meat, but in cases of debility a little raw meat given once a day
is most beneficial.
It would not be fitting to close an article on Pekinese
without bearing testimony to their extraordinarily attractive
characteristics. They are intensely affectionate and faithful,
and have something almost cat-like in their domesticity. They
display far more character than the so-called " toy dog "
usually does, and for this reason it is all-important that pains
should be taken to preserve the true type, in a recognition of
the fact that quality is more essential than quantity.
As their breed-name implies, these tiny black and white, long-
haired lap dogs are reputed to be natives of the land of the
chrysanthemum. The Japanese, who have treasured them
for centuries, have the belief that they are not less ancient
than the dogs of Malta. There seems to be a probability,
THE JAPANESE 293
however, that the breed may claim to be Chinese just as surely
as Japanese. The Hon. Mrs. McLaren Morrison, an authority
on exotic dogs whose opinion must always be taken with
respect, is inclined to the belief that they are related to the
short-nosed Spaniels of Thibet ; while other experts are
equally of opinion that the variety is an offshoot from the
Spaniels of Pekin. It is fairly certain that they are indigenous
to the Far East, whence we have derived so many of our small
snub-nosed, large-eyed, and long-haired pets. The Oriental
peoples have always bred their lap dogs to small size, con-
venient for carrying in the sleeve. The "sleeve dog " and
the " chin dog " are common and appropriate appellations in
the East.
The Japanese Spaniel was certainly known in England half a
century ago, and probably much earlier. Our seamen often
brought them home as presents for their sweethearts. These
early imported specimens were generally of the larger kind,
and if they were bred from — which is doubtful — it was by
crossing with the already long-established King Charles or
Blenheim Spaniels. Their colours were not invariably white
and black. Many were white and red, or white with lemon-
yellow patches. The colouring other than white was usually
about the long-fringed ears and the crown of the head, with a
line of white running from the point of the snub black nose
between the eyes as far as the occiput. This blaze up the face
was commonly said to resemble the body of a butterfly,
whose closed wings were represented by the dog's expansive
ears.
The white and black colouring is now the most frequent.
The points desired are a broad and rounded skull, large in
proportion to the dog's body ; a wide, strong muzzle and a
turned-up lower jaw. Great length of body is not good ;
the back should be short and level. The legs are by pre-
ference slender and much feathered, the feet large and well
separated. An important point is the coat. It should be
abundant, particularly about the neck, where it forms a ruffle,
294 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
and it ought to be quite straight and very silky. The Japanese
Spaniel is constitutionally delicate, requiring considerable care
in feeding. A frequent — almost a daily — change of diet is to
be recommended, and manufactured foods are to be avoided.
Rice usually agrees well ; fresh fish, sheep's head, tongue,
chicken livers, milk or batter puddings are also suitable;
and occasionally give oatmeal porridge, alternated with a
little scraped raw meat as an especial favour. For puppies
newly weaned it is well to limit the supply of milk foods and
to avoid red meat. Finely minced rabbit, or fish are better.
Of the Japanese Spaniels which have recently been promi-
nent in competition, may be mentioned Miss Serena's Cham-
pion Fuji of Kobe, a remarkably beautiful bitch, who was under
5 Ib. in weight, and who in her brief life gained six full cham-
pionships. Mrs. Gregson's Ch. Tora of Braywick, a fine
red and white dog, somewhat over 7 Ib., is also to be remem-
bered as a typical example of the breed, together with Kara,
the smallest Jap ever exhibited or bred in this country, weigh-
ing only 2j Ib. when 2j years old ; Lady Samuelson's Togo
and O'Toyo of Braywick, and Mrs. Hull's Ch. Daddy Jap.
There has lately been a tendency to lay too much stress upon
diminutive size in this variety of the dog, to the neglect of
well-formed limbs and free movement ; but on the whole it
may be stated with confidence that the Japanese is prosper-
ing in England, thanks largely to the energetic work of the
Japanese Chin Club, which was formed some three years ago
to promote the best interests of the breed.
The following is the official standard issued by the Club : —
Head — Should be large for size of animal, very broad and with slightly
rounded skull. Muzzle — Strong and wide ; very short from eyes to
nose ; upper jaw should look slightly turned up between the eyes ;
lower jaw should be also turned up or finished so as to meet it, but
should the lower jaw be slightly underhung it is not a blemish provided
the teeth are not shown in consequence. Nose — Very short in the
muzzle part. The end or nose proper should be wide, with open nostrils,
and must be the colour of the dog's marking, i.e., black in black-marked
dogs, and red or deep flesh colour in red or lemon marked dogs. Eyes —
Large, dark, lustrous, rather prominent, and set wide apart. Ears —
Small and V-shaped, nicely feathered, set wide apart and high on
THE JAPANESE 295
the head and carried slightly forward. Neck — Should be short and
moderately thick. Body — Very compact and squarely built, with a
short back, rather wide chest, and of generally " cobby " shape. The
body and legs should really go into a square, i.e., the length of the dog
should be about its height. Legs — The bones of the legs should be
small, giving them a slender appearance, and they should be well
feathered. Feet — Small and shaped, somewhat long ; the dog stands up
on its toes somewhat. If feathered, the tufts should never increase the
width of the foot, but only its length a trifle. Tall — Carried in a tight
curl over the back. It should be profusely feathered so as to give the
appearance of a beautiful " plume " on the animal's back. Coat —
Profuse, long, straight, rather silky. It should be absolutely free from
wave or curl, and not lie too flat, but have a tendency to stand out,
especially at the neck, so as to give a thick mane or ruff, which with
profuse feathering on thighs and tail gives a very showy appearance.
Colour — Either black and white or red and white, i.e., parti-coloured.
The term red includes all shades, sable, brindle, lemon or orange, but
the brighter and clearer the red the better. The white should be clear
white, and the colour, whether black or red, should be evenly dis-
tributed in patches over the body, cheeks, and ears. Height at Shoulder
— About ten inches. Weight — The size desirable is from 4 Ib. to 9 Ib.
The smaller size is preferable if good shape.
CHAPTER XLVI
THE MALTESE DOG AND THE PUG
No doubt has been cast upon the belief that the small, white,
silky Cams Melitaus is the most ancient of all the lap dogs of
the Western world. It was a favourite in the time of Phidias ;
it was an especial pet of the great ladies of Imperial Rome.
It appears to have come originally from the Adriatic island of
Melita rather than from the Mediterranean Malta, although
this supposition cannot be verified. There is, however, no
question that it is of European origin, and that the breed, as
we know it to-day, has altered exceedingly little in type and
size since it was alluded to by Aristotle more than three hundred
years before the Christian era. One may gather from various
references in literature, and from the evidence of art, that it
was highly valued in ancient times. " When his favourite
dog dies," wrote Theophrastus in illustration of the vain man,
" he deposits the remains in a tomb, and erects a monument
over the grave, with the inscription, ' Offspring of the stock of
Malta.' "
The " offspring of the stock of Malta " were probably first
imported into England during the reign of Henry VIII.
It is certain that they were regarded as " meet playfellows
for mincing mistresses " in the reign of Elizabeth, whose
physician, Dr. Caius, alluded to them as being distinct from
the Spaniel, " gentle or comforter."
Early writers aver that it was customary when Maltese
puppies were born to press or twist the nasal bone with the
fingers " in order that they may seem more elegant in the sight
of men " — a circumstance which goes to show that our fore-
THE MALTESE DOG 297
fathers were not averse to improving artificially the points of
their dogs.
The snowy whiteness and soft, silky texture of its coat must
always cause the Maltese dog to be admired ; but the variety
has never been commonly kept in England — a fact which is,
no doubt, due to the difficulty of breeding it and to the trouble
in keeping the dog's long jacket clean and free from tangle.
Thirty or forty years ago it was more popular as a lap dog than
it has ever been since, and in the early days of dog shows many
beautiful specimens were exhibited. This popularity was
largely due to the efforts of Mr. R. Mandeville, of Southwark,
who has been referred to as virtually the founder of the modern
Maltese. His Fido and Lily were certainly the most perfect
representatives of the breed during the decade between 1860
and 1870, and at the shows held at Birmingham, Islington,
the Crystal Palace, and Cremorne Gardens, this beautiful
brace was unapproachable.
It is a breed which to be kept in perfection requires more
than ordinary attention, not only on account of its silky
jacket, which is peculiarly liable to become matted, and is
difficult to keep absolutely clean without frequent washing,
but also on account of a somewhat delicate constitution, the
Maltese being susceptible to colds and chills. If affected
by such causes, the eyes are often attacked, and the water
running from them induces a brown stain to mar the beauty
of the face. Skin eruptions due to unwise feeding, or para-
sites due to uncleanliness, are quickly destructive to the silky
coat, and constant watchfulness is necessary to protect the
dog from all occasion for scratching. The diet is an im-
portant consideration always, and a nice discernment is
imperative in balancing the proportions of meat and vegetable.
Too much meat is prone to heat the blood, while too little
induces eczema. Scraps of bread and green vegetables well
mixed with gravy and finely-minced lean meat form the best
dietary for the principal meal of the day, and plenty of
exercise is imperative.
298 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
The following is the standard description and points of the
Maltese Club of London : —
Head — Should not be too narrow, but should be of a Terrier shape,
not too long, but not apple-headed. Ears — Should be long and well
feathered, and hang close to the side of the head, the hair to be wi-11
mingled with the coat at the shoulders. Eyes — Should be a dark
brown, with black eye rims and not too far apart. Nose — Should be
pure black. Legs and Feet — Legs should be short and straight, feet
round, and the pads of the feet should be black. Body and Shape —
Should be short and cobby, low to the ground, and the back should be
straight from the top of the shoulders to the tail. Tail and Carriage —
Should be well arched over the back and well feathered. Coat, Length
and Texture — Should be a good length, the longer the better, of a silky
texture, not in any way woolly, and should be straight. Colour —
It is desirable that they should be pure white, but slight lemon marks
should not count against them. Condition and Appearance — Should
be of a sharp Terrier appearance, with a lively action, the coat should
not be stained, but should be well groomed in every way. Size — The
most approved weights should be from 4 Ib. to 9 lb., the smaller the
better, but it is desirable that they should not exceed 10 lb.
There seems to be no doubt that the fawn-coloured Pug
enjoys the antiquity of descent that is attached to the Grey-
hound, the Maltese dog, and some few other venerable breeds.
Although much has been written on the origin of these
dogs, nothing authentic has been discovered in connection with
it. Statements have appeared from time to time to the effect
that the Pug was brought into this country from Holland.
In the early years of the last century it was commonly styled
the Dutch Pug. But this theory does not trace the history
far enough back, and it should be remembered that at that
period the Dutch East India Company was in constant com-
munication with the Far East. Others declare that Muscovy
was the original home of the breed, a supposition for which
there is no discernible foundation. The study of canine
history receives frequent enlightenment from the study of the
growth of commercial intercourse between nations, and the
trend of events would lead one to the belief that the Pug had
its origin in China, particularly in view of the fact that it is
with that country that most of the blunt-nosed toy dogs,
with tails curled over their backs, are associated.
THE PUG 299
The Pug was brought into prominence in Great Britain
about sixty years ago by Lady Willoughby de Eresby, of
Grimthorpe, near Lincoln, and Mr. Morrison, of Walham
Green, who each independently established a kennel of these
dogs, with such success that eventually the fawn Pugs were
spoken of as either the Willoughby or the Morrison Pugs.
At that period the black variety was not known. The
Willoughby Pug was duller in colour than the Morrison,
which was of a brighter, ruddier hue, but the two varieties
have since been so much interbred that they are now un-
distinguishable, and the fact that they were ever familiarly
recognised as either Willoughbys or Morrisons is almost
entirely forgotten. A " fawn " Pug may now be either silver
grey or apricot, and equally valuable.
Whatever may have been the history of the Pug as regards
its nativity, it had not been long introduced into England
before it became a popular favourite as a pet, and it shared
with the King Charles Spaniel the affection of the great
ladies of the land. The late Queen Victoria possessed one,
of which she was very proud. The Pug has, however, now
fallen from his high estate as a ladies' pet, and his place has
been usurped by the Toy Pomeranian, the Pekinese, and
Japanese, all of which are now more highly thought of in
the drawing-room or boudoir. But the Pug has an advantage
over all these dogs as, from the fact that he has a shorter coat,
he is cleaner and does not require so much attention.
It was not until the establishment of the Pug Dog Club in
1883 that a fixed standard of points was drawn up for the
guidance of judges when awarding the prizes to Pugs. Later
on the London and Provincial Pug Club was formed, and
standards of points were drawn up by that society. These,
however, have never been adhered to. The weight of a
dog or bitch, according to the standard, should be from
13 Ib. to 17 lb., but there are very few dogs indeed that are
winning prizes who can draw the scale at the maximum
weight. One of the most distinctive features of a fawn Pug
300 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
is the trace, which is a line of black running along the top
of the back from the occiput to the tail. It is the exception
to find a fawn Pug with any trace at all now. The muzzle
should be short, blunt, but not upfaced. Most of the winning
Pugs of the present day are undershot at least half an inch,
and consequently must be upfaced. Only one champion of
the present day possesses a level mouth. The toe-nails
should be black according to the standard, but this point
is ignored altogether. In fact, the standard, as drawn up by
the Club, should be completely revised, for it is no true guide.
The colour, which should be either silver or apricot fawn ;
the markings on the head, which should show a thumb-
mark or diamond on the forehead, together with the orthodox
size, are not now taken into consideration, and the prizes are
given to over-sized dogs with big skulls that are patchy in
colour, and the charming little Pugs which were once so highly
prized are now the exception rather than the rule, while the
large, lustrous eyes, so sympathetic in their expression, are
seldom seen.
The black Pug is a recent production. He was brought
into notice in 1886, when Lady Brassey exhibited some at the
Maidstone Show. By whom he was manufactured is not a
matter of much importance, as with the fawn Pug in existence
there was not much difficulty in crossing it with the shortest-
faced black dog of small size that could be found, and then back
again to the fawn, and the thing was done. Fawn and black
Pugs are continually being bred together, and, as a rule, if
judgment is used in the selection of suitable crosses, the puppies
are sound in colour, whether fawn or black. In every respect
except markings the black Pug should be built on the same
lines as the fawn, and be a cobby little dog with short back and
well-developed hind-quarters, wide in skull, with square and
blunt muzzle and tightly-curled tail.
CHAPTER XLVII
THE BRUSSELS GRIFFON
AWAY back in the 'seventies numbers of miners in Yorkshire
and the Midlands are said to have possessed little wiry-
coated and wiry-dispositioned red dogs, which accompanied
their owners to work, being stowed away in pockets of over-
coats until the dinner hour, when they were brought out
to share their masters' meals, perchance chasing a casual
rat in between times. Old men of to-day who remember these
little " red tamers " tell us that they were the originals of the
present-day Brussels Griffons, and to the sporting propensities
of the aforesaid miners is attributed the gameness which is
such a characteristic of their latter-day representatives.
No one who is well acquainted with the Brussels Griffon
would claim that the breed dates back, like the Greyhound,
to hoary antiquity, or, indeed, that it has any pretensions
to have " come over with the Conqueror." The dog is not
less worthy of admiration on that account. It is futile to
inquire too closely into his ancestry ; like Topsy, " he growed "
and we must love him for himself alone.
Even in the last fifteen years we can trace a certain advance
in the evolution of the Brussels Griffon. When the breed
was first introduced under this name into this country, under-
jaw was accounted of little or no importance, whereas now a
prominent chin is rightly recognised as being one of the most
important physical characteristics of the race. Then, again,
quite a few years ago a Griffon with a red pin-wire coat
was rarely met with, but now this point has been generally
rectified, and every show specimen of any account whatever
possesses the much-desired covering.
301
302 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
The first authentic importations of Brussels Griffons into
this country were made by Mrs. Kingscote, Miss Adela Gordon,
Mrs. Frank Pearce, and Fletcher, who at that time (circa 1894)
kept a dog-shop in Regent Street. Mrs. Handley Spicer
soon followed, and it was at her house that, in 1896, the
Griffon Bruxellois Club was first suggested and then formed.
The Brussels Griffon Club of London was a later offshoot of
this club, and, like many children, would appear to be more
vigorous than its parent. Griffons soon made their appear-
ance at shows and won many admirers, though it must be
admitted that their progress up the ladder of popularity
was not so rapid as might have been expected. The breed is
especially attractive in the following points : It is hardy,
compact, portable, very intelligent, equally smart and alert
in appearance, affectionate, very companionable, and, above
all, it possesses the special characteristic of wonderful eyes,
ever changing in expression, and compared with which the
eyes of many other toy breeds appear as a glass bead to a
fathomless lake.
Griffons are hardy little dogs, though, like most others,
they are more susceptible to damp than to cold. While not
greedy, like the Terrier tribe, they are usually good feeders
and good doers, and not tiresomely dainty with regard to food,
as is so often the case with Toy Spaniels. It must be admitted
that Griffons are not the easiest of dogs to rear, particularly
at weaning time. From five to eight weeks is always a critical
period in the puppy hood of a Griffon, and it is necessary to
supersede their maternal nourishment with extreme caution.
Farinaceous foods do not answer, and usually cause trouble
sooner or later. A small quantity of scraped raw beef — an
eggspoonful at four weeks, increasing to a teaspoonful at
six — may be given once a day, and from four to five weeks
two additional meals of warm milk — goat's for preference —
and not more than a tablespoonful at a time should be given.
From five to six weeks the mother will remain with the
puppies at night only, and three milk meals may be given
THE BRUSSELS GRIFFON 303
during the day, with one of scraped meat, at intervals of
about four hours, care being taken to give too little milk
rather than too much. At six weeks the puppies may usually
be taken entirely from the mother, and at this time it is
generally advisable to give a gentle vermifuge, such as Ruby.
A very little German rusk may also be added to the milk
meals, which may be increased to one and a-half tablespoon-
fuls at a time, but it must always be remembered that, in nine
cases out of ten, trouble is caused by overfeeding rather than
underfeeding, and until the rubicon of eight weeks has been
passed, care and oversight should be unremitting. At eight
weeks' old, Force or brown breadcrumbs may be added to the
morning milk, chopped meat may be given instead of scraped at
midday, the usual milk at tea-time, and a dry biscuit, such
as Plasmon, for supper. At ten weeks old the milk at tea-
time may be discontinued and the other meals increased ac-
cordingly, and very little further trouble need be feared, for
Griffons very rarely suffer from teething troubles.
Brussels Griffons are divided into three groups, according
to their appearance, and representatives of each group may
be, and sometimes are, found in one and the same litter.
First and foremost, both in importance and in beauty, comes
the Griffon Bruxellois, a cobby, compact little dog, with wiry
red coat, large eyes, short nose, well turned up, and sloping
back, very prominent chin, and small ears. Secondly come
the Griffons of any other colour, or, as they are termed in
Brussels, Griffons Beiges. These are very often Griffons of the
usual colour, with a mismark of white or black, or occasionally
they may be grey or fawn. But the most approved colour,
and certainly the most attractive, is black and tan. The
third group of Brussels Griffons is that termed " smooth,"
or, in Brussels, Griffons Brabancons. The smooth Griffon is
identical with the rough in all points except for being short-
haired. As is well known, smooth Griffons are most useful
for breeding rough ones with the desired hard red coat, and
many well-known show dogs with rough coats have been bred
304 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
from smooth ones : for example, Sparklets, Ch. Copthorne
Lobster, Ch. Copthorne Treasure, Ch. Copthorne Talk-o'-
the-Town, and Copthorne Blunderbuss. This and many other
facts in connection with breeding Griffons will be learnt
from experience, always the best teacher.
The descriptive particulars of the Brussels Griffon are : —
Central Appearance — A lady's little dog — intelligent, sprightly, robust,
of compact appearance — reminding one of a cob, and captivating the
attention by a quasi-human expression. Head — Hounded, furnished
with somewhat hard, irregular hairs, longer round the eyes, on the
nose and cheeks. Ear* — Erect when cropped as in Belgium, semi-
erect when uncropped. Eyes — Very large, black, or nearly black ;
eyelids edged with black, eyelashes long and black, eyebrows covered
with hairs, leaving the eye they encircle perfectly uncovered. Nose —
Always black, short, surrounded with hair converging upward to meet
those which surround the eyes. Very pronounced stop. Lips —
Edged with black, furnished with a moustache. A little black in the
moustache is not a fault. Chin — Prominent without showing the teeth,
and edged with a small beard. Chest — Rather wide and deep. Left —
As straight as possible, of medium length. Tall — Erect, and docked to
two-thirds. Colour — In the Griffons Bruzellois, red ; in the Griffons
Beiges, preferably black and tan, but also grey or fawn ; in the Petit
Brabancon, red or black and tan. Texture of Coal — Harsh and wiry,
irregular, rather long and thick. In the Braban9on it is smooth
and short. Weljht — Light weight, 5 Ib. maximum ; and heavy
weight, 9 Ib. maximum. Faults — The faults to be avoided are light
eyes, silky hair on the head, brown nails, teeth showing, a hanging
tongue or a brown nose.
Photograph by Russell
TOY DOGS
1. MRS, GRESHAM'S PUG CH. GRINDLEY KING
2. MRS. T. WHALKY'S BRUSSELS GRIFFON GLENARTNEY
SPORT
3. PEKINESE CH. CHU-ERH OF ALDERBOURNE
CHAPTER XLVIII
THE MINIATURE BREEDS
EXCEPT in the matter of size, the general appearance and
qualifications of the Miniature Black and Tan Terrier should be
as nearly like the larger breed as possible, for the standard of
points applies to both varieties, excepting that erect, or what
are commonly known as tulip ears, of semi-erect carriage, are
permissible in the miniatures. The officially recognised weight
for the toy variety is given as " under seven pounds," but none
of the most prominent present-day winners reach anything
like that weight ; some in fact are little more than half of it,
and the great majority are between 4 Ib. and 5 Ib.
Probably the most popular specimens of the miniature
Black and Tan at the present time are Mr. Whaley's Glenart-
ney Sport and Mr. Richmond's Merry Atom. Merry Atom is
only 4J Ib. in weight, and he is beautifully proportioned, with
a fine, long head, a small, dark eye, small ears, and the true
type of body. His markings of deep black and rich tan are
good, and his coat is entirely free from the bare patches which
so often mar the appearance of these toys, giving the
suggestion of delicacy.
The Miniature Black and Tan is certainly not a robust dog,
and he has lost much of the terrier boisterousness of character
by reason of being pampered and coddled ; but it is a fallacy
to suppose that he is necessarily delicate. He requires to be
kept warm, but exercise is better for him than eiderdown quilts
and silken cushions, and judicious feeding will protect him from
the skin diseases to which he is believed to be liable. Under
proper treatment he is no more delicate than any other toy
u 305
306 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
dog, and his engaging manners and cleanliness of habit ought
to place him among the most favoured of lady's pets and lap-
dogs. It is to be hoped that the efforts now being made
by the Black and Tan Terrier Club will be beneficial to the
increased popularity of this diminutive breed.
For the technical description and scale of points the reader
is referred to the chapter on the larger variety of Black and
Tan Terrier (see p. 196).
Of late years Toy Bull-terriers have fallen in popularity.
This is a pity, as their lilliputian self-assertion is most amusing.
As pets they are most affectionate, excellent as watch-dogs,
clever at acquiring tricks, and always cheerful and com-
panionable. They have good noses and will hunt diligently ;
but wet weather or thick undergrowth will deter them, and
they are too small to do serious harm to the best stocked game
preserve.
The most valuable Toy Bull-terriers are small and very light
in weight, and these small dogs usually have " apple-heads."
Pony Queen, the former property of Sir Raymond Tyrwhitt
Wilson, weighed under 3 lb., but the breed remains " toy "
up to 15 lb. When you get a dog with a long wedge-shaped
head, the latter in competition with small " apple-headed "
dogs always takes the prize, and a slightly contradictory state
of affairs arises from the fact that the small dog with an
imperfectly shaped head will sell for more money than a dog
with a perfectly shaped head which is larger.
In drawing up a show schedule of classes for this breed
it is perhaps better to limit the weight of competitors to 12
lb. .-The Bull-terrier Club put 15 lb. as the lowest weight
allowed for the large breed, and it seems a pity to have
an interregnum between the large and miniature variety ;
still, in the interests of the small valuable specimens, this
seems inevitable, and opportunist principles must be applied
to doggy matters as to other business in this world. At
present there is a diversity of opinion as to their points, but
THE MINIATURE BREEDS 307
roughly they are a long flat head, wide between the eyes and
tapering to the nose, which should be black. Ears erect and
bat-like, straight legs and rather distinctive feet ; some
people say these are cat-like.
Toy Bull-terriers ought to have an alert, gay appearance,
coupled with refinement, which requires a nice whip tail.
The best colour is pure white. A brindle spot is not amiss,
and even a brindle dog is admissible, but black marks are
wrong. The coat ought to be close and stiff to the touch.
Toy Bull-terriers are not delicate as a rule. They require
warmth and plenty of exercise in all weathers.
The most elegant, graceful, and refined of all dogs are the
tiny Italian Greyhounds. Their exquisitely delicate lines,
their supple movements and beautiful attitudes, their soft
large eyes, their charming colouring, their gentle and loving
nature, and their scrupulous cleanliness of habit — all these
qualities justify the admiration bestowed upon them as draw-
ing-room pets. They are fragile, it is true — fragile as egg-
shell china — not to be handled roughly. But their constitu-
tion is not necessarily delicate, and many have been known to
live to extreme old age. Miss Mackenzie's Jack, one of the
most beautiful of the breed ever known, lived to see his
seventeenth birthday, and even then was strong and healthy.
Their fragility is more apparent than real, and if they are not
exposed to cold or damp, they require less pampering than
they usually receive. This cause has been a frequent source
of constitutional weakness, and it was deplorably a fault in
the Italian Greyhounds of half a century ago.
One cannot be quite certain as to the derivation of the Italian
Greyhound. Its physical appearance naturally suggests a
descent from the Gazehound of the ancients, with the added
conjecture that it was purposely dwarfed for the convenience
of being nursed in the lap. Greek art presents many examples
of a very small dog of Greyhound type, and there is a pro-
bability that the diminutive breed was a familiar ornament
308 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
in the atrium of most Roman villas. In Pompeii a dwarfed
Greyhound was certainly kept as a domestic pet, and there is
therefore some justification for the belief that the Italian
prefix is not misplaced.
In very early times the Italian Greyhound was appreciated.
Vandyck, Kneller, and Watteau frequently introduced the
graceful figures of these dogs as accessories in their portraits
of the Court beauties of their times, and many such portraits
may be noticed in the galleries of Windsor Castle and Hampton
Court. Mary, Queen of Scots is supposed to have been fond
of the breed, as more surely were Charles I. and Queen Anne.
Some of the best of their kind were in the possession of Queen
Victoria at Windsor and Balmoral, where Sir Edwin Landseer
transferred their graceful forms to canvas.
Among the more prominent owners of the present time are
the Baroness Campbell von Laurentz, whose Rosemead Laura
and Una are of superlative merit alike in outline, colour*
style, length of head, and grace of action ; Mrs. Florence
Scarlett, whose Svelta, Saltarello, and Sola are almost equally
perfect ; Mrs. Matthews, the owner of Ch. Signor, our smallest
and most elegant show dog ; and Mr. Charlwood, who has
exhibited many admirable specimens, among them Sussex
Queen and Sussex Princess.
The Italian Greyhound Club of England has drawn up the
following standard and scale of points : —
General Appearance — A miniature English Greyhound, more slender
in all proportions, and of ideal elegance and grace in shape, symmetry,
and action. Head — Skull long, flat and narrow. Muzzle very fine.
Nose dark in colour. Ears rose shaped, placed well back, soft and
delicate, and should touch or nearly touch behind the head. Eyes
large, bright, and full of expression. Body — Neck long and gracefully
arched. Shoulders long and sloping. Back curved and drooping at the
quarters. Legs and Feet — Fore-legs straight, well set under the
shoulder ; fine pasterns ; small delicate bone. Hind-legs, hocks well
let down; thighs muscular. Feet long — hare foot. Tall, Coat and
Colour — Tail rather long and with low carriage. Skin fine and supple.
Hair thin and glossy like satin. Preferably self-coloured. The colour
most prized is golden fawn, but all shades of fawn — red, mouse, cream
and white — are recognised. Blacks, brindles and pied are considered
THE MINIATURE BREEDS 309
less desirable. Action — High stepping and free. Weight — Two
classes, one of 8 Ib. and under, the other over 8 Ib.
The diminutive Shetland Sheepdog has many recommenda-
tions as a pet. Like the sturdy little Shetland pony, this dog
has not been made small by artificial selection. It is a Collie
in miniature, no larger than a Pomeranian, and it is perfectly
hardy, wonderfully sagacious, and decidedly beautiful. At
first glance the dog might easily be mistaken for a Belgian
Butterfly dog, for its ears are somewhat large and upstanding,
with a good amount of feather about them ; but upon closer
acquaintance the Collie shape and nature become more
pronounced.
The body is long and set low, on stout, short legs, which end
in long-shaped, feathered feet. The tail is a substantial brush,
beautifully carried, and the coat is long and inclined to
silkiness, with a considerable neck-frill. The usual weight is
from six to ten pounds, the dog being of smaller size than
the bitch. The prettiest are all white, or white with rich
sable markings, but many are black and tan or all black.
The head is short and the face not so aquiline as that of
the large Collie. The eyes are well proportioned to the
size of the head, and have a singularly soft round brightness,
reminding one of the eye of a woodcock or a snipe.
The Shetlanders use them with the sheep, and they are
excellent little workers, intelligent and very active, and as
hardy as terriers. Dog lovers in search of novelty might do
worse than take up this attractive and certainly genuine breed.
CHAPTER XLIX
PRACTICAL MANAGEMENT
MANY people are deterred from keeping dogs by the belief
that the hobby is expensive and that it entails a profitless
amount of trouble and anxiety ; but to the true dog-lover
the anxiety and trouble are far outbalanced by the pleasures
of possession, and as to the expense, that is a matter which can
be regulated at will. A luxuriously appointed kennel of
valuable dogs, who are pampered into sickness, may, indeed,
become a serious drain upon the owner's banking account,
but if managed on business principles the occupation is capable
of yielding a very respectable income. One does not wish
to see dog-keeping turned into a profession, and there seems
to be something mean in making money by our pets ; but the
process of drafting is necessary when the kennel is overstocked,
and buying and selling are among the interesting accessories
of the game, second only to the pleasurable excitement of
submitting one's favourites to the judgment of the show-ring.
The delights of breeding and rearing should be their own
reward, as they usually are, yet something more than mere
pin-money can be made by the alert amateur who possesses
a kennel of acknowledged merit, and who knows how to turn
it to account. A champion ought easily to earn his own
living : some are a source of handsome revenue.
Occasionally one hears of very high prices being paid for
dogs acknowledged to be perfect specimens of their breed.
For the St. Bernard Sir Belvidere sixteen hundred pounds
were offered. Plinlimmon was sold for a thousand, the same
sum that was paid for the Bulldog Rodney Stone. For the
310
PRACTICAL MANAGEMENT 311
Collies Southport Perfection and Ormskirk Emerald Mr
Megson paid a thousand sovereigns each. Size is no criterion
of a dog's market value ; Mrs. Ashton Cross is said to have
refused two thousand pounds for her celebrated Pekinese
Chu Erh, and there are many lap-dogs now living that could
not be purchased for that high price. These are sums which
only a competent judge with a long purse would dream of
paying for an animal whose tenure of active life can hardly be
more than eight or ten years, and already the dog's value
must have been attested by his success in competition. It
requires an expert eye to perceive the potentialities of a
puppy, and there is always an element of speculative risk for
both buyer and seller. Many a dog that has been sold for a
song has grown to be a famous champion. At Cruft's show
in 1905 the Bulldog Mahomet was offered for ten pounds.
No one was bold enough to buy him, yet eighteen monthi
afterwards he was sold and considered cheap at a thousand.
Uncertainty adds zest to a hobby that is in itself engaging.
Thanks to the influence of the Kennel Club and the institu-
tion of dog shows, which have encouraged the improvement of
distinct breeds, there are fewer nondescript mongrels in our
midst than there were a generation or so ago. A fuller
knowledge has done much to increase the pride which the
British people take in their canine companions, and our
present population of dogs has never been equalled for good
quality in any other age or any other land.
The beginner cannot easily go wrong or be seriously cheated,
but it is well when making a first purchase to take the advice
of an expert and to be very certain of the dog's pedigree, age,
temper, and condition. The approved method of buying a
dog is to select one advertised for sale in the weekly journals
devoted to the dog. A better way still, if a dog of distin-
guished pedigree is desired, is to apply direct to a well-known
owner of the required breed, or to visit one of the great annual
shows, such as Cruft's, Manchester, The Ladies' Kennel
Association, The Kennel Club (Crystal Palace, in October),
312 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
The Scottish Kennel Club, or Birmingham, and there choose
the dog from the benches, buying him at his catalogue price.
In determining the choice of a breed it is to be remembered
that some are better watchdogs than others, some more
docile, some safer with children. The size of the breed should
be relative to the accommodation available. To have a St.
Bernard or a Great Dane galumphing about a small house is
an inconvenience, and sporting dogs which require constant
exercise and freedom are not suited to the confined life of a
Bloomsbury flat. Nor are the long-haired breeds at their
best draggling round in the wet, muddy streets of a city.
For town life the clean-legged Terrier, the Bulldog, the Pug,
and the Schipperke are to be preferred. Bitches are cleaner
in the house and more tractable than dogs. The idea that
they are more trouble than dogs is a fallacy. The difficulty
arises only twice in a twelvemonth for a few days, and if you
are watchful there need be no misadventure.
If only one dog, or two or three of the smaller kinds, be kept,
there is no imperative need for an outdoor kennel, although
all dogs are the better for life in the open air. The house-dog
may be fed with meat-scraps from the kitchen served as an
evening meal, with rodnim or a dry biscuit for breakfast.
The duty of feeding him should be in the hands of one person
only. When it is everybody's and nobody's duty he is apt
to be neglected at one time and overfed at another. Regu-
larity of feeding is one of the secrets of successful dog-keeping.
It ought also to be one person's duty to see that he has frequent
access to the yard or garden, that he gets plenty of clean drink-
ing water, plenty of outdoor exercise, and a comfortable bed.
For the toy and delicate breeds it is a good plan to have a
dog-room set apart, with a suitable cage or basket-kennel for
each dog.
Even delicate Toy dogs, however, ought not to be per-
manently lodged within doors, and the dog-room is only com-
plete when it has as an annexe a grass plot for playground
and free exercise. Next to wholesome and regular food,
PRACTICAL MANAGEMENT 313
fresh air and sunshine are the prime necessaries of healthy
condition. Weakness and disease come more frequently from
injudicious feeding and housing than from any other cause.
Among the free and ownerless pariah dogs of the East disease
is almost unknown.
For the kennels of our British-bred dogs, perhaps a southern
or a south-western aspect is the best, but wherever it is placed
the kennel must be sufficiently sheltered from rain and wind,
and it ought to be provided with a covered run in which the
inmates may have full liberty. An awning of some kind is
necessary. Trees afford good shelter from the sun-rays, but
they harbour moisture, and damp must be avoided at all
costs. When only one outdoor dog is kept, a kennel can be
improvised out of a packing-case, supported on bricks above
the ground, with the entrance properly shielded from the
weather. No dog should be allowed to live in a kennel in
which he cannot turn round at full length. Properly con-
structed, portable, and well- ventilated kennels for single
dogs are not expensive and are greatly to be preferred to any
amateurish makeshift. A good one for a terrier need not
cost more than a pound. It is usually the single dog that
suffers most from imperfect accommodation. His kennel is
generally too small to admit of a good bed of straw, and if
there is no railed-in run attached he must needs be chained
up. The dog that is kept on the chain becomes dirty in his
habits, unhappy, and savage. His chain is often too short and
is not provided with swivels to avert kinks. On a sudden
alarm, or on the appearance of a trespassing tabby, he will
often bound forward at the risk of dislocating his neck.
The yard-dog's chain ought always to be fitted with a stop
link spring to counteract the effect of the sudden jerk. The
method may be employed with advantage in the garden for
several dogs, a separate rope being used for each. Unfriendly
dogs can thus be kept safely apart and still be to some extent
at liberty.
There is no obvious advantage in keeping a watch-dog
314 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
on the chain rather than in an enclosed compound, unless he
is expected to go for a possible burglar and attack him.
A wire-netting enclosure can easily be constructed at very
little expense. For the more powerful dogs the use of wrought-
iron railings is advisable, and these can be procured cheaply
from Spratt's or Boulton and Paul's, fitted with gates and
with revolving troughs for feeding from the outside.
Opinions differ as to the best material for the flooring of
kennels and the paving of runs. Asphalte is suitable for
either in mild weather, but in summer it becomes uncomfort-
ably hot for the feet, unless it is partly composed of cork.
Concrete has its advantages if the surface can be kept dry.
Flagstones are cold for winter, as also are tiles and bricks.
For terriers, who enjoy burrowing, earth is the best ground
for the run, and it can be kept free from dirt and buried bones
by a rake over in the morning, while tufts of grass left round
the margins supply the dogs' natural medicine. The movable
sleeping bench must, of course, be of wood, raised a few
inches above the floor, with a ledge to keep in the straw or
other bedding. Wooden floors are open to the objection that
they absorb the urine ; but dogs should be taught not to
foul their nest, and in any case a frequent disinfecting with a
solution of Pearson's or J eyes' fluid should obviate impurity,
while fleas, which take refuge in the dust between the planks,
may be dismissed or kept away with a sprinkling of paraffin.
Whatever the flooring, scrupulous cleanliness in the kennel is
a prime necessity, and the inner walls should be frequently
limewashed. It is important, too, that no scraps of rejected
food or bones should be left lying about to become putrid or
to tempt the visits of rats, which bring fleas. If the dogs do
not finish their food when it is served to them, it should be
removed until hunger gives appetite for the next meal.
Many breeders of the large and thick-coated varieties, such
as St. Bernards, Newfoundlands, Old English Sheepdogs,
and rough-haired Collies, give their dogs nothing to lie upon
but clean bare boards. The coat is itself a sufficient cushion.
PRACTICAL MANAGEMENT 3*5
but in winter weather straw gives added warmth, and for
short-haired dogs something soft, if it is only a piece of carpet
or a sack, is needed as a bed to protect the hocks from abrasion.
With regard to feeding, this requires to be studied in rela-
tion to the particular breed. One good meal a day, served by
preference in the evening, is sufficient for the adult if a dry
dog-cake or a handful of rodnim be given for breakfast, and
perhaps a large bone to gnaw at. Clean cold water must al-
ways be at hand in all weathers, and a drink of milk coloured
with tea is nourishing. Goat's milk is particularly suitable
for the dog: many owners keep goats on their premises to
give a constant supply. It is a mistake to suppose, as many
persons do, that meat diet provokes eczema and other skin
troubles ; the contrary is the case. The dog is by nature a
carnivorous animal, and wholesome flesh, either cooked or
raw, should be his staple food. Horseflesh, which is frequently
used in large establishments, is not so fully to be relied upon
as ordinary butcher meat. There is no serious objection to
bullocks' heads, sheeps' heads, bullocks' tripes and paunches
and a little liver given occasionally is an aperient food which
most dogs enjoy. But when it can be afforded, wholesome
butcher's meat is without question the proper food. Oatmeal
porridge, rice, barley, linseed meal, and bone meal ought
only to be regarded as occasional additions to the usual meat
diet, and are not necessary when dog cakes are regularly
supplied. Well-boiled green vegetables, such as cabbage,
turnip-tops, and nettle-tops, are good mixed with the meat ;
potatoes are questionable. Of the various advertised dog
foods, many of which are excellent, the choice may be left to
those who are fond of experiment, or who seek for convenient
substitutes for the old-fashioned and wholesome diet of the
household. Sickly dogs require invalid's treatment ; but the
best course is usually the simplest, and, given a sound consti-
tution to begin with, any dog ought to thrive if he is only
properly housed, carefully fed, and gets abundant exercise.
CHAPTER L
BREEDING AND WHELPING
THE modern practice of dog-breeding in Great Britain has
reached a condition which may be esteemed as an art. At no
other time, and in no other country, have the various canine
types been kept more rigidly distinct or brought to a higher
level of perfection. Formerly dog-owners — apart from the
keepers of packs of hounds — paid scant attention to the
differentiation of breeds and the conservation of type, and
they considered it no serious breach of duty to ignore the
principles of scientific selection, and thus contribute to the
multiplication of mongrels. Discriminate breeding was rare,
and if a Bulldog should mate himself with a Greyhound, or a
Spaniel with a Terrier, the alliance was regarded merely as an
inconvenience. So careless were owners in preventing the
promiscuous mingling of alien breeds that it is little short
of surprising so many of our canine types have been preserved
in their integrity.
The elimination of the nondescript cur is no doubt largely
due to the work of the homes for lost dogs that are instituted
in most of our great towns. Every year some 26,000 homeless
and ownerless canines are picked up by the police in the streets
of London, and during the forty-seven years which have elapsed
since the Dogs' Home at Battersea was established, upwards
of 800,000 dogs have passed through the books, a few to be
reclaimed or bought, the great majority to be put to death.
A very large proportion of these have been veritable mongrels,
not worth the value of their licences — diseased and maimed
curs, or bitches in whelp, turned ruthlessly adrift to be
316
BREEDING AND WHELPING 317
consigned to the oblivion of the lethal chamber, where the
thoroughbred seldom finds its way. And if as many as 500
undesirables are destroyed every week at one such institution,
'tis clear that the ill-bred mongrel must soon altogether
disappear. But the chief factor in the general improvement
of our canine population is due to the steadily growing care
and pride which are bestowed upon the dog, and to the
scientific skill with which he is being bred.
Admitting that the dogs seen at our best contemporary
shows are superlative examples of scientific selection, one has
yet to acknowledge that the process of breeding for show points
has its disadvantages, and that, in the sporting and pastoral
varieties more especially, utility is apt to be sacrificed to
ornament and type, and stamina to fancy qualities not always
relative to the animal's capacities as a worker. The stand-
ards of perfection and scales of points laid down by the
specialist clubs are usually admirable guides to the uninitiated,
but they are often unreasonably arbitrary in their insistence
upon certain details of form — generally in the neighbourhood
of the head — while they leave the qualities of type and
character to look after themselves or to be totally ignored.
It is necessary to assure the beginner in breeding that points
are essentially of far less moment than type and a good con-
stitution. The one thing necessary in the cultivation of the
dog is to bear in mind the purpose for which he is supposed
to be employed, and to aim at adapting or conserving his
physique to the best fulfilment of that purpose, remembering
that the Greyhound has tucked-up loins to give elasticity and
bend to the body in running, that a Terrier is kept small to
enable him the better to enter an earth, that a Bulldog is
massive and undershot for encounters in the bullring, that the
Collie's ears are erected to assist him in hearing sounds from
afar, as those of the Bloodhound are pendant, the more
readily to detect sounds coming to him along the ground while
his head is bent to the trail. Nature has been discriminate
in her adaptations of animal forms, and the most perfect
318 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
dog yet bred is the one which approaches nearest to Nature's
wise intention.
The foregoing chapters have given abundant examples of
how the various breeds of the dog have been acquired,
manufactured, improved, resuscitated, and retained. Broadly
speaking, two methods have been adopted : The method of
introducing an outcross to impart new blood, new strength,
new character ; and the method of inbreeding to retain an
approved type. An outcross is introduced when the breed
operated upon is declining in stamina or is in danger
of extinction, or when some new physical or mental
quality is desired. New types and eccentricities are
hardly wanted, however, and the extreme requirements of
an outcross may nowadays be achieved by the simple process
of selecting individuals from differing strains of the same
breed, mating a bitch which lacks the required points with a
dog in whose family they are prominently and consistently
present.
Inbreeding is the reverse of outcrossing. It is the practice
of mating animals closely related to each other, and it is,
within limits, an entirely justifiable means of preserving and
intensifying family characteristics. It is a law in zoology
that an animal cannot transmit a quality which it does not
itself innately possess, or which none of its progenitors has
ever possessed. By mating a dog and a bitch of the same
family, therefore, you concentrate and enhance the uniform
inheritable qualities into one line instead of two, and you
reduce the number of possibly heterogeneous ancestors by
exactly a half right back to the very beginning. There is no
surer way of maintaining uniformity of type, and an examina-
tion of the extended pedigree of almost any famous dog will
show how commonly inbreeding is practised. Inbreeding is
certainly advantageous when managed with judgment and
discreet selection, but it has its disadvantages also, for it is
to be remembered that faults and blemishes are inherited as
well as merits, and that the faults have a way of asserting
BREEDING AND WHELPING 319
themselves with annoying persistency. Furthermore, breed-
ing between animals closely allied in parentage is prone to
lead to degeneracy, physical weakness, and mental stupidity,
while impotence and sterility are frequent concomitants, and
none but experienced breeders should attempt so hazardous
an experiment. Observation has proved that the union of
father with daughter and mother with son is preferable to an
alliance between brother and sister. Perhaps the best
union is that between cousins. For the preservation of
general type, however, it ought to be sufficient to keep to one
strain and to select from that strain members who, while
exhibiting similar characteristics, are not actually too closely
allied in consanguinity. To move perpetually from one
strain to another is only to court an undesirable confusion of
type.
In founding a kennel it is advisable to begin with the posses-
sion of a bitch. As a companion the female is to be preferred
to the male ; she is not less affectionate and faithful, and she is
usually much cleaner in her habits in the house. If it is
intended to breed by her, she should be very carefully chosen
and proved to be free from any serious fault or predisposition
to disease. Not only should her written pedigree be scrupu-
lously scrutinised, but her own constitution and that of her
parents on both sides should be minutely inquired into.
A bitch comes into season for breeding twice in a year ;
the first time when she is reaching maturity, usually at the
age of from seven to ten months. Her condition will readily
be discerned by the fact of an increased attentiveness of the
opposite sex and the appearance of a mucous discharge from
the vagina. She should then be carefully protected from the
gallantry of suitors. Dogs kept in the near neighbourhood
of a bitch on heat, who is not accessible to them, go off their
feed and suffer in condition. With most breeds it is unwise
to put a bitch to stud before she is eighteen months old, but
Mr. Stubbs recommends that a Bull bitch should be allowed to
breed at her first heat, while her body retains the flexibility of
320 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
youth ; and there is no doubt that with regard to the Bulldog
great mortality occurs in attempting to breed from maiden
bitches exceeding three years old. In almost all breeds it is
the case that the first three litters are the best. It is accord-
ingly important that a proper mating should be considered
at the outset, and a prospective sire selected either through
the medium of stud advertisements or by private arrangement
with the owner of the desired dog. For the payment of
the requisite stud fee, varying from a guinea to ten or fifteen
pounds, the services of the best dogs of the particular breed
can usually be secured. It is customary for the bitch to be
the visitor, and it is well that her visit should extend to two or
three days at the least. When possible a responsible person
should accompany her.
If the stud dog is a frequenter of shows he can usually be
depended upon to be in sound physical condition. No dog
who is not so can be expected to win prizes. But it ought to
be ascertained before hand that he is what is known as a good
stock-getter. The fee is for his services, not for the result of
them. Some owners of stud dogs will grant two services,
and this is often desirable, especially in the case of a maiden
bitch or of a stud dog that is over- wrought, as so many are.
It is most important that both the mated animals should be
free from worms and skin disorders. Fifty per cent, of the
casualties among young puppies are due to one or other of
the parents having been in an unhealthy condition when
mated. A winter whelping is not advisable. It is best
for puppies to be born in the spring or early summer, thus
escaping the rigours of inclement weather.
During the period of gestation the breeding bitch should
have ample but not violent exercise, with varied and whole-
some food, including some preparation of bone meal ; and at
about the third week, whether she seems to require it or not,
she should be treated for worms. At about the sixtieth day
she will begin to be uneasy and restless. A mild purgative
should be given ; usually salad oil is enough, but if constipa-
BREEDING AND WHELPING 321
tion is apparent castor oil may be necessary. On the sixty-
second day the whelps may be expected, and everything ought
to be in readiness for the event.
A coarsely constituted bitch may be trusted to look after
herself on these occasions ; no help is necessary, and one may
come down in the morning to find her with her litter com-
fortably nestling at her side. But with the Toy breeds, and
the breeds that have been reared in artificial conditions,
difficult or protracted parturition is frequent, and human
assistance ought to be at hand in case of need. The owner
of a valuable Bull bitch, for example, would never think of
leaving her to her own unaided devices. All undue inter-
ference, however, should be avoided, and it is absolutely
necessary that the person attending her should be one with
whom she is fondly familiar.
In anticipation of a possibly numerous litter, a foster-mother
should be arranged for beforehand. Comfortable quarters
should be prepared in a quiet part of the house or kennels,
warm, and free from draughts. Clean bedding of wheat en
straw should be provided, but the bitch should be allowed to
make her nest in her own instinctive fashion. Let her have
easy access to drinking water. She will probable refuse food
for a few hours before her time, but a little concentrated
nourishment, such as Brand's Essence or a drink of warm milk,
should be offered to her. In further preparation for the
confinement a basin of water containing antiseptic for washing
in, towels, warm milk, a flask of brandy, a bottle of ergotine,
and a pair of scissors are commodities which may all be
required in emergency. The ergot, which must be used with
extreme caution and only when the labour pains have com-
menced, is invaluable when parturition is protracted, and there
is difficult straining without result. Its effect is to contract
the womb and expel the contents. But when the puppies are
expelled with ease it is superfluous. For a bitch of 10 Ib.
in weight ten drops of the extract of ergot in a teaspoonful of
water should be ample, given by the mouth. The scissors are
322 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
for severing the umbilical cord if the mother should fail to do
it in her own natural way. Sometimes a puppy may be en-
closed within a membrane which the dam cannot readily open
with tongue and teeth. If help is necessary it should be given
tenderly and with clean fingers. Occasionally a puppy may
seem to be inert and lifeless, and after repeatedly licking it
the bitch may relinquish all effort at restoration and turn her
attention to another that is being born. In such a circum-
stance the rejected little one may be discreetly removed, and a
drop of brandy on the point of the finger smeared upon its
tongue may revive animation, or it may be plunged up to the
neck in warm water. The object should be to keep it warm
and to make it breathe. When the puppies are all born, their
dam may be given a drink of warm milk and then left alone
to their toilet and to suckle them. If any should be dead, these
ought to be disposed of. Curiosity in regard to the others
should be temporarily repressed, and inspection of them
delayed until a more fitting opportunity. If any are then seen
to be malformed or to have cleft palates, these had better
be removed and mercifully destroyed.
It is the experience of many observers that the first whelps
born in a litter are the strongest, largest, and healthiest. If
the litter is a large one, the last born may be noticeably puny,
and this disparity in size may continue to maturity. The wise
breeder will decide for himself how many whelps should be
left to the care of their dam. The number should be relative
to her health and constitution, and in any case it is well not
to give her so many that they will be a drain upon her Those
breeds of dogs that have been most highly developed by man
and that appear to have the greatest amount of brain and
intelligence are generally the most prolific as to the number of
puppies they produce. St. Bernards, Pointers, Setters are
notable for the usual strength of their families. St. Bernards
have been known to produce as many as eighteen whelps at
a birth, and it is no uncommon thing for them to produce from
nine to twelve. A Pointer of Mr. Barclay Field's produced
BREEDING AND WHELPING 323
fifteen, and it is well known that Mr. Statter's Setter Phoebe
produced twenty-one at a birth. Phoebe reared ten of these
herself, and almost every one of the family became celebrated.
It would be straining the natural possibilities of any bitch
to expect her to bring up eighteen puppies healthily. Half that
number would tax her natural resources to the extreme.
But Nature is extraordinarily adaptive in tempering the wind
to the shorn lamb, and a dam who gives birth to a numerous
litter ought not to have her family unduly reduced. It was
good policy to allow Phcebe to have the rearing of as many
as ten out of her twenty-one. A bitch having twelve will
bring up nine very well, one having nine will rear seven with-
out help, and a bitch having seven will bring up five better
than four.
Breeders of Toy-dogs often rear the overplus offspring by
hand, with the help of a Maw and Thompson feeding-bottle,
peptonised milk, and one or more of the various advertised
infants' foods or orphan puppy foods. Others prefer to
engage or prepare in advance a foster-mother. The foster-
mother need not be of the same breed, but she should be
approximately of similar size, and her own family ought to be
of the same age as the one of which she is to take additional
charge. One can usually be secured through advertisement
in the canine press. Some owners do not object to taking
one from a dogs' home, which is an easy method, in con-
sideration of the circumstance that by far the larger number
of " lost " dogs are bitches sent adrift because they are in
whelp. The chief risk in this course is that the unknown foster-
mother may be diseased or verminous or have contracted the
seeds of distemper, or her milk may be populated with embryo
worms. These are dangers to guard against. A cat makes
an excellent foster-mother for Toy-dog puppies.
Worms ought not to be a necessary accompaniment of
puppyhood, and if the sire and dam are properly attended
to in advance they need not be. The writer has attended
at the birth of puppies, not one of whom has shown the
324 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
remotest sign of having a worm, and the puppies have almost
galloped into healthy, happy maturity, protected from all the
usual canine ailments by constitutions impervious to disease.
He has seen others almost eaten away by worms. Great
writhing knots of them have been ejected ; they have been
vomited ; they have wriggled out of the nostrils ; they have
perforated the stomach and wrought such damage that most
of the puppies succumbed, and those that survived were
permanently deficient in stamina and liable to go wrong on the
least provocating. The puppy that is free from worms starts
life with a great advantage.
CHAPTER LI
SOME COMMON AILMENTS OF THE DOG AND
THEIR TREATMENT
THE experienced dog-owner has long ago realised that cleanliness,
wholesome food, judicious exercise and a dry, comfortable and well-
ventilated kennel are the surest safeguards of health, and that attention
to these necessaries saves him an infinitude of trouble and anxiety
by protecting his dogs from disease. On the first appearance of illness
in his kennels the wise dog-owner at once calls in the skill of a good
veterinary surgeon, but there are some of the minor ailments which he
can deal with himself whilst he ought at least to be able to recognise
the first symptoms of the dreaded Distemper and give first aid until the
vet. arrives to apply his remedies and give professional advice.
DISTEMPER.
Although more than one hundred years have elapsed since this
was first imported to this country from France, a great amount of
misunderstanding still prevails among a large section of dog-breeders
regarding its true nature and origin. The fact is, the disease came
to us with a bad name, for the French themselves deemed it incurable.
In this country the old-fashioned plan of treatment was wont to be
the usual rough remedies — emetics, purgatives, the seton, and the
lancet. Failing in this, specifics of all sorts were eagerly sought for
and tried, and are unfortunately still believed in to a very great extent.
Distemper has a certain course to run, and in this disease Nature
seems to attempt the elimination of the poison through the secretions
thrown out by the naso-pharyngeal mucous membrane.
Our chief difficulty in the treatment of distemper lies in the
complications thereof. We may, and often do, have the organs of
respiration attacked; we have sometimes congestion of the liver, or
mucous inflammation of the bile ducts, or some lesion of the brain or
nervous structures, combined with epilepsy, convulsions, or chorea.
Distemper is also often complicated with severe disease of the bowels,
and at times with an affection of the eyes.
Causes — Whether it be that the distemper virus, the poison seedling
of the disease, really originates in the kennel, or is the result of contact
of one dog with another, or whether the poison floats to the kennel on
the wings of the wind, or is carried there on a shoe or the point of a
walking-stick, the following facts ought to be borne in mind : (1) Any-
thing that debilitates the body or weakens the nervous system paves
325
326 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
the way for the distemper poison ; (2) the healthier the dog the more
power does he possess to resist contagion ; (3) when the disease is
epizootic, it can often be kept at bay by proper attention to diet and
exercise, frequent change of kennel straw, and perfect cleanliness ;
(4) the predisposing causes which have come more immediately under
my notice are debility, cold, damp, starvation, filthy kennels, un-
wholesome food, impure air, and grief.
The Age at which Dogs take Distemper — They may take distemper
at any age ; the most common time of life is from the fifth till the
eleventh or twelfth month.
Symptoms — There is, first and foremost, a period of latency or of
incubation, in which there is more or less of dullness and loss of appetite,
and this glides gradually into a state of feverishness. The fever may
be ushered in with chills and shivering. The nose now becomes hot
and dry, the dog is restless and thirsty, and the conjunctiva; of the eyes
will be found to be considerably injected. Sometimes the bowels
are at first constipated, but they are more usually irregular. Sneezing
will also be frequent, and in some cases cough, dry and husky at first.
The temperature should be taken, and if there is a rise of two or three
degrees the case should be treated as distemper, and not as a common
cold.
At the commencement there is but little exudation from the eyes
and nose, but as the disease advances this symptom will become more
marked, being clear at first. So, too, will another symptom which
is partially diagnostic of the malady, namely, increased heat of body
combined with a rapid falling of! in flesh, sometimes, indeed, proceeding
quickly on to positive emaciation.
As the disease creeps downwards and inwards along the air-passages,
the chest gets more and more affected, the discharge of mucus and pus
from the nostrils more abundant, and the cough loses its dry character,
becoming moist. The discharge from the eyes is simply mucus and pus,
but if not constantly dried away will gum the inflamed lids together,
that from the nostrils is not only purulent, but often mixed with dark
blood. The appetite is now clean gone, and there is often vomiting
and occasional attacks of diarrhoea.
Now in mild cases we may look for some abatement of the symptoms
about the fourteenth day. The fever gets less, inflammation decreases
in the mucous passages, and appetite is restored as one of the first signs
of returning health. More often, however, the disease becomes
complicated.
Diagnosis — The diagnostic symptoms are the severe catarrh,
combined not only with /ever, but speedy emaciation.
Pneumonia, as we might easily imagine, is a very likely complication,
and a very dangerous one. There is great distress in breathing, the
animal panting rapidly. The countenance is anxious, the pulse small
and frequent, and the extremities cold. The animal would fain sit up
on his haunches, or even seek to get out into the fresh air, but sickness,
weakness, and prostration often forbid his movements. If the ear
or stethoscope be applied to the chest, the characteristic signs of
pneumonia will be heard ; these are sounds of moist crepitations, etc.
Bronchitis is probably the most common complication ; in fact,
AILMENTS AND THEIR TREATMENT 327
it is always present, except in very mild cases. The cough becomes
more severe, and often comes on in tearing paroxysms, causing sickness
and vomiting. The breathing is short and frequent, the mouth hot
and filled with viscid saliva, while very often the bowels are constipated.
If the liver becomes involved, we shall very soon have the jaundiced
eye and the yellow skin. Diarrhoea is another very common com-
plication. We have frequent purging and, maybe, sickness and
vomiting. Fits of a convulsive character are frequent concomitants of
distemper. Epilepsy is sometimes seen, owing, no doubt, to degenera-
tion of the nerve centres caused by blood-poisoning. There are many
other complications, and skin complaints are common after it.
Treatment — This consists firstly in doing all in our power to guide
the specific catarrhal fever to a safe termination ; and, secondly,
in watching for and combating complications. Whenever we see a
young dog ailing, losing appetite, exhibiting catarrhal symptoms,
and getting thin, with a rise in temperature, we should not lose an hour.
If he be an indoor dog, find him a good bed in a clean, well-ventilated
apartment, free from lumber and free from dirt. If it be summer,
have all the windows out or opened ; if winter, a little fire will be
necessary, but have half the window opened at the same time ; only
take precautions against his lying in a draught. Fresh air in cases
of distemper, and, indeed, in fevers of all kinds, cannot be too highly
extolled.
The more rest the dog has the better ; he must be kept free from
excitement, and care must be taken to guard him against cold and wet
when he goes out of doors to obey the calls of Nature. The most
perfect cleanliness must be enjoined, and disinfectants used, such as
permanganate of potash, carbolic acid, Pearson's, or Izal. If the
sick dog, on the other hand, be one of a kennel of dogs, then quarantine
must be adopted. The hospital should be quite removed from the
vicinity of all other dogs, and as soon as the animal is taken from the
kennel the latter should be thoroughly cleansed and disinfected, and
the other dogs kept warm and dry, well fed, and moderately exercised.
Food and Drink — For the first three or four days let the food be light
and easily digested. In order to induce the animal to take it, it should
be as palatable as possible. For small dogs you cannot have anything
better than milk porridge.* At all events, the dog must, if possible,
be induced to eat ; he must not be " horned " unless there be great
emaciation ; he must not over-eat, but what he gets must be good.
As to drink, dogs usually prefer clean cold water, and we cannot do
harm by mixing therewith a little plain nitre.
Medicine — Begin by giving a simple dose of castor oil, just enough
and no more than will clear out the bowels by one or two motions.
Drastic purgatives, and medicines such as mercury, jalap, aloes, and
podophyllyn, cannot be too highly condemned. For very small
Toy dogs, such as Italian Greyhounds, Yorkshire Terriers, etc., I should
not recommend even oil itself, but manna — one drachm to two drachms
dissolved in milk. By simply getting the bowels to act once or twice,
we shall have done enough for the first day, and have only to make
the dog comfortable for the night.
* Oatmeal porridge made with milk instead of water.
328 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
On the next day begin with a mixture such as the following : Solution
of acetate of ammonia, 30 drops to 120 ; sweet spirits of nitre, 15 drops
to 60 ; salicylate of soda, 2 grains to 10. Thrice daily in a little camphor
water.
If the cough be very troublesome and the fever does not run very
high, the following may be substituted for this on the second or third
day : Syrup of squills, 10 drops to 60 ; tincture of henbane, 10 drops
to 60 ; sweet spirits of nitre, 10 drops to 60, in camphor water.
A few drops of dilute hydrochloric acid should be added to the dog's
drink, and two teaspoonfuls (to a quart of water) of the chlorate of
potash. This makes an excellent fever drink, especially if the dog
can be got to take decoction of barley — barley-water — instead of plain
cold water, best made of Keen and Robinson's patent barley.
If there be persistent sickness and vomiting, the medicine must
be stopped for a time. Small boluses of ice frequently administered
will do much good, and doses of dilute prussic acid, from one to four
drops in a little water, will generally arrest the vomiting.
If constipation be present, we must use no rough remedies to get
rid of it. A little raw meat cut into small pieces — minced, in fact —
or a small portion of raw liver, may be given if there be little fever ;
if there be fever, we are to trust for a time to injections of plain soap-
and- water. Diarrhoea, although often a troublesome symptom, is,
it must be remembered, a salutary one. Unless, therefore, it becomes
excessive, do not interfere ; if it does, give the simple chalk mixture
three times a day, but no longer than is needful.
The discharge from the mouth and nose is to be wiped away with a
soft rag— or, better still, some tow, which is afterwards to be burned —
wetted with a weak solution of carbolic. The forehead, eyes, and nose
may be fomented two or three times a day with moderately hot water
with great advantage.
It is not judicious to wet a long-haired dog much, but a short-haired one
may have the chest and throat well fomented several times a day, and
well rubbed dry afterwards. Heat applied to the chests of long-haired
dogs by means of a flat iron will also effect good.
The following is an excellent tonic : Sulphate of quinine, i to 3 grains ;
powdered rhubarb, 2 to 10 grains ; extract of taraxacum, 3 to 20
grains ; make a bolus. Thrice daily.
During convalescence good food, Virol, Spratts' invalid food and
invalid biscuit, moderate exercise, fresh air, and protection from cold.
These, with an occasional mild dose of castor oil or rhubarb, are to be
our sheet-anchors. I find no better tonic than the tablets of Phos-
ferine. One quarter of a tablet thrice daily, rolled in tissue paper, for
a Toy dog, up to two tablets for a dog of Mastiff size.
BRONCHITIS.
Dogs that have been exposed to wet, or that have been put to lie in
a damp or draughty kennel with insufficient food, are not less liable
than their masters to catch a severe cold, which, if not promptly
attended to, may extend downward to the lining membranes of bronchi
or lungs. In such cases there is always symptoms more or less of fever,
with fits of shivering and thirst, accompanied with dullness, a tired appear-
AILMENTS AND THEIR TREATMENT 329
ance and loss of appetite. The breath is short, inspirations painful, and
there is a rattling of mucus in chest or throat. The most prominent
symptom, perhaps, is the frequent cough. It is at first dry, ringing,
and evidently painful ; in a few days, however, or sooner, it softens,
and there is a discharge of frothy mucus with it, and, in the latter
stages, of pus and ropy mucus.
Treatment — Keep the patient in a comfortable, well-ventilated
apartment, with free access in and out if the weather be dry. Let the
bowels be freely acted upon to begin with, but no weakening discharge
from the bowels must be kept up. After the bowels have been moved
we should commence the exhibition of small doses of tartar emetic
with squills and opium thrice a day. If the cough is very troublesome,
give this mixture : Tincture of squills, 5 drops to 30 ; paregoric, 10
drops to 60 ; tartar emetic, one-sixteenth of a grain to 1 grain ; syrup
and water a sufficiency. Thrice daily.
We may give a full dose of opium every night. In mild cases car-
bonate of ammonia may be tried ; it often does good, the dose being
from two grains to ten in camphor water, or even plain water.
The chronic form of bronchitis will always yield, if the dog is young,
to careful feeding, moderate exercise, and the exhibition of cod-liver
oil with a mild iron tonic. The exercise, however, must be moderate,
and the dog kept from the water. A few drops to a teaspoonful of
paregoric, given at night, will do good, and the bowels should be kept
regular, and a simple laxative pill given now and then.
DIARRHCEA,
or looseness of the bowels, or purging, is a very common disease among
dogs of all ages and breeds. It is, nevertheless, more common among
puppies about three or four months old, and among dogs who have
reached the age of from seven to ten years. It is often symptomatic
of other ailments.
Causes — Very numerous. In weakly dogs exposure alone will
produce it. The weather, too, has no doubt much to do with the
production of diarrhoea. In most kennels it is more common in the
months of July and August, although it often comes on in the very dead
of winter. Puppies, if overfed, will often be seized with this trouble-
some complaint. A healthy puppy hardly ever knows when it has
had enough, and it will, moreover, stuff itself with all sorts of garbage ;
acidity of the stomach follows, with vomiting of the ingesta, and
diarrhoea succeeds, brought on by the acrid condition of the chyme,
which finds its way into the duodenum. This stuff would in itself act
as a purgative, but it does more, it abnormally excites the secretions
of the whole alimentary canal, and a sort of sub-acute mucous in-
flammation is set up. The liver, too, becomes mixed up with the
mischief, throws out a superabundance of bile, and thus aids in keeping
up the diarrhrea.
Among other causes, we find the eating of indigestible food, drinking
foul or tainted water, too much green food, raw paunches, foul kennels,
and damp, draughty kennels.
Symptoms — The purging is, of course, the principal symptom, and the
stools are either quite liquid or semi-fluid, bilious-looking, dirty-brown
330 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
or clay-coloured, or mixed with slimy mucus. In some cases they
resemble dirty water. Sometimes, as already said, a little blood will
be found in the dejection, owing to congestion of the mucous mem-
brane from liver obstruction. In case there be blood in the stools,
a careful examination is always necessary in order to ascertain the real
state of the patient. Blood, it must be remembered, might come
from piles or polypi, or it might be dysenteric, and proceed from ulcera-
tion of the rectum and colon. In the simplest form of diarrhoea, unless
the disease continues for a long time, there will not be much wasting,
and the appetite will generally remain good but capricious.
In bilious diarrhoea, with large brown fluid stools and complete loss
of appetite, there is much thirst, and in a few days the dog gets rather
thin, although nothing like so rapidly as in the emaciation of distemper.
The Treatment will, it need hardly be said, depend upon the cause,
but as it is generally caused by the presence in the intestine of some
irritating matter, we can hardly err by administering a small dose
of castor oil, combining with it, if there be much pain — which you can
tell by the animal's countenance — from 5 to 20 or 30 drops of laudanum,
or of the solution of the muriate of morphia. This in itself will often
suffice to cut short an attack. The oil is preferable to rhubarb, but
the latter may be tried — the simple, not the compound powder—dose
from 10 grains to 2 drachms in bolus.
If the diarrhoea should continue next day, proceed cautiously —
remember there is no great hurry, and a sudden check to diarrhoea
is at times dangerous — to administer dog doses of the aromatic chalk
and opium powder, or give the following medicine three times a day :
Compound powdered catechu, 1 grain to 10 ; powdered chalk with
opium, 3 grains to 30. Mix. If the diarrhoea still continues, good
may accrue from a trial of the following mixture : Laudanum, 5 to 30
drops ; dilute sulphuric acid, 2 to 15 drops ; in camphor water.
This after every liquid motion, or, if the motions may not be ob-
served, three times a day. If blood should appear in the stools give
the following : Kino powder, 1 to 10 grains ; powder ipecac., J to 3
grains ; powdered opium $ to 2 grains. This may be made into a bolus
with any simple extract, and given three times a day.
The food is of importance. The diet should be changed ; the food
requires to be of a non-stimulating kind, no meat being allowed, but
milk and bread, sago, or arrowroot or rice, etc. The drink either
pure water, with a pinch or two of chlorate and nitrate of potash in it,
or patent barley-water if the dog will take it.
The bed must be warm and clean, and free from draughts, and,
in all cases of diarrhoea, one cannot be too particular with the cleanliness
and disinfection of the kennels.
CONSTIPATION,
more commonly called costiveness, is also a very common complaint.
It often occurs in the progress of other diseases, but is just as often a
separate ailment.
Perhaps no complaint to which our canine friends are liable is less
understood by the non-professional dog doctor and by dog owners
themselves. Often caused by weakness in the coats of the intestine.
AILMENTS AND THEIR TREATMENT 331
The exhibition of purgatives can only have a temporary effect in reliev-
ing the symptoms, and is certain to be followed by reaction, and
consequently by further debility. Want of exercise and bath common
cause.
Youatt was never more correct in his life than when he said : " Many
dogs have a dry constipated habit, often greatly increased by the
bones on which they are fed. This favours the disposition to mange,
etc. It produces indigestion, encourages worms, blackens the teeth ,
and causes fetid breath."
Symptoms — The stools are hard, usually in large round balls, and
defecation is accomplished with great difficulty, the animal often
having to try several times before he succeeds in effecting the act, and
this only after the most acute suffering. The faeces are generally
covered with white mucus, showing the heat and semi-dry condition of
the gut. The stool is sometimes so dry as to fall to pieces like so
much oatmeal.
There is generally also a deficiency of bile in the motions, and,
in addition to simple costiveness, we have more or less loss of appetite,
with a too pale tongue, dullness, and sleepiness, with slight redness
of the conjunctiva. Sometimes constipation alternates with diarrhoea,
the food being improperly commingled with the gastric and other
juices, ferments, spoils, and becomes, instead of healthy blood-produc-
ing chyme, an irritant purgative.
Treatment — Hygienic treatment more than medicinal. Mild doses
of castor oil, compound rhubarb pill, or olive oil, may at first be neces-
sary. Sometimes an enema will be required if the medicine will not act.
Plenty of exercise and a swim daily (with a good run after the swim),
or instead of the swim a bucket bath — water thrown over the dog.
Give oatmeal, rather than flour or fine bread, as the staple of his
diet, but a goodly allowance of meat is to be given as well, with cabbage
or boiled liver, or even a portion of raw liver. Fresh air and exercise
in the fields. You may give a bolus before dinner, such as the follow-
ing : Compound rhubarb pill, 1 to 5 grains ; quinine, $ to 2 grains ;
extract of taraxacum, 2 to 10 grains. Mix.
FITS.
Whatever be the cause, they are very alarming. In puppies they are
called CONVULSIONS, and resemble epileptic fits. Keep the dog very
quiet, but use little force, simply enough to keep him from hurting
himself. Keep out of the sun, or in a darkened room. When he can
swallow give from 2 to 20 grains (according to size) of bromide of
potassium in a little camphor water thrice daily for a few days. Only
milk food. Keep quiet.
SKIN DISEASES.
In the whole range of dog ailments included in the term canine
pathology there are none more bothersome to treat successfully nor
more) difficult to diagnose than those of the skin. There are none either
that afford the quack or patent-nostrum monger a larger field for the
practice of his fiendish gifts. If I were to be asked the questions,
" Why do dogs suffer so much from skin complaints ? " and " Why
332 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
does it appear to be so difficult to treat them ? " I should answer the
first thus : Through the neglect of their owners, from want of cleanli-
ness, from injudicious feeding, from bad kennelling, and from per-
mitting their favourites such free intercourse with other members of
the canine fraternity. Overcrowding is another and distinct source of
skin troubles.
My answer to the second question is that the layman too often treats
the trouble in the skin as if it were the disease itself, whereas it is,
generally, merely a symptom thereof. Examples : To plaster medi-
cated oils or ointments all over the skin of a dog suffering from con-
stitutional eczema is about as sensible as would be the painting white
of the yellow skin in jaundice in order to cure the disordered liver.
But even those contagious diseases that are caused by skin germs
or animalcules will not be wholly cured by any applications whatever.
Constitutional remedies should go hand in hand with these. And,
indeed, so great is the defensive power of strong, pure blood, rich in its
white corpuscles or leucocytes, that I believe I could cure even the worst
forms of mange by internal remedies, good food, and tonics, etc.,
without the aid of any dressing whatever except pure cold water.
In treating of skin diseases it is usual to divide them into three
sections : (1) The non-contagious, (2) the contagious, and (3) ailments
caused by external parasites.
(1) THE MOM-CONTAGIOUS. — (A) ERYTHEMA. — This is a redness, with
slight inflammation of the skin, the deeper tissues underneath not being
involved. Examples — That seen between the wrinkles of well-bred
Pugs, Mastiffs, or Bulldogs, or inside the thighs of Greyhounds, etc.
If the skin breaks there may be discharges of pus, and if the case is
not cured the skin may thicken and crack, and the dog make matters
worse with his tongue.
Treatment — Review and correct the methods of feeding. A dog
should be neither too gross nor too lean. Exercise, perfect cleanliness,
the early morning sluice-down with cold water, and a quassia tonic.
He may need a laxative as well.
Locally — Dusting with oxide of zinc or the violet powder of the
nurseries, a lotion of lead, or arnica. Fomentation, followed by cold
water, and, when dry, dusting as above. A weak solution of boracic
acid (any chemist) will sometimes do good.
(B) PRURIOO. — Itching all over, with or without scurf. Sometimes
thickening.
Treatment — Regulation of diet, green vegetables, fruit if he will
take it, brushing and grooming, but never roughly. Try for worms
and for fleas.
(c) ECZEMA. — The name is not a happy one as applied to the usual
itching skin disease of dogs. Eczema proper is an eruption in which
the formed matter dries off into scales or scabs, and dog eczema, so-
called, is as often as not a species of lichen. Then, of course, it is often
accompanied with vermin, nearly always with dirt, and it is irritated
out of all character by the biting and scratching of the dog himself.
Treatment — Must be both constitutional and local. Attend to the
organs of digestion. Give a moderate dose of opening medicine, to clear
away offending matter. This simple aperient may be repeated occasion-
AILMENTS AND THEIR TREATMENT 333
ally, say once a week, and if diarrhoea be present it may be checked
by the addition of a little morphia or dilute sulphuric acid. Cream of
tartar with sulphur is an excellent derivative, being both diuretic
and diaphoretic, but it must not be given in doses large enough to
purge. At the same time we may give thrice daily a tonic pill like the
following : —
Sulphate of quinine, $ to 3 grains ; sulphate of iron, $ grain to 5
grains ; extract of hyoscyamus, i to 3 grains ; extract of taraxacum
and glycerine enough to make a pill.
Locally — Perfect cleanliness. Cooling lotions patted on to the
sore places. Spratts' Cure. (N.B. — I know what every remedy
contains, or I should not recommend it.) Benzoated zinc ointment
after the lotion has dried in. Wash carefully once a week, using the
ointment when skin is dry, or the lotion to allay irritation.
(2) CONTAGIOUS SKIN DISEASES. — These are usually called mange
proper and follicular mange, or scabies. I want to say a word on the
latter first. It depends upon a microscopic animalcule called the
Acarus folliculorum. The trouble begins by the formation of patches,
from which the hair falls off, and on which may be noticed a few pimples.
Scabs form, the patches extend, or come out on other parts of the body,
head, legs, belly, or sides. Skin becomes red in white-haired dogs.
Odour of this trouble very offensive. More pain than itching seems
to be the symptomatic rule. Whole body may become affected.
Treatment — Dress the affected parts twice a week with the
following • —
Creosote, 2 drachms ; linseed oil, 7 ounces ; solution of potash, 1
ounce. First mix the creosote and oil, then add the solution and
shake. Better to shave the hair off around the patches. Kennels
must be kept clean with garden soap and hot water, and all bedding
burned after use. From three months to six will be needed to cure bad
cases.
MANGE PROPER is also caused by a parasite or acarus, called the
Sarcops canus. Unlike eczema, this mange is spread from dog to dog
by touch or intercommunication, just as one person catches the itch
from another.
The Symptoms — At first these may escape attention, but there are
vesicles which the dog scratches and breaks, and thus the disease spreads.
The hair gets matted and falls off. Regions of the body most com-
monly affected, head, chest, back, rump, and extremities. There may
not be much constitutional disturbance from the actual injury to the
skin, but from his suffering so much from the irritation and the want of
rest the health suffers.
Treatment — Avoid the use of so-called disinfectants. Most of those
sold as such are simply deodorisers, and, applied to the skin, are useless.
Nor are they of much use in cleaning the kennels. Nothing suits
better for woodwork than, first, carbolic wash, and then a thorough
scrubbing with hot water and garden soap.
Some ointment must be used to the skin, and as I am writing for
laymen only I feel chary in recommending such strong ones as the
green iodide of mercury. If you do use it mix it with twice its bulk
of the compound sulphur ointment. Do over only a part or two at
334 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
a time. The dog to be washed after three days. But the compound
sulphur ointment itself is a splendid application, and it is not dangerous.
(3) SKIN COMPLAINTS FROM VERMIN. — The treatment is obvious —
get rid of the cause.
A$ their diagnosis is so difficult, whenever the dog-owner is in doubt,
make certain by treating the dog not only by local applications but
constitutionally as well. In addition to good diet, perfect cleanliness
of coat, kennel, and all surroundings, and the application of the oint-
ment or oil, let the dog have all the fresh air possible, and exercise,
but never over-exciting or too fatiguing. Then a course of arsenic
seldom fails to do good.
I do not believe in beginning the exhibition of arsenic too soon.
I prefer paying my first attentions to the digestive organs and state of
the bowels. The form of exhibition which 1 have found suit as well as
any is the tasteless Liquor arsenicalis. It is easily administered. It
ought to be given mixed with the food, as it ought to enter the blood
with the chyle from the diet. It ought, day by day, to be gradually,
not hurriedly, increased. Symptoms of loathing of food and redness
of conjunctiva call for the cessation of its use for two or three days at
least, when it is to be recommended at the same size of dose given when
left off.
There are two things which assist the arsenic, at least to go well with
it ; they are, iron in some form and Virol. The latter will be needed
when there is much loss of flesh. A simple pill of sulphate of iron
and extract of liquorice may be used. Dose of Liquor arsenicalis
from 1 to 6 drops ter die to commence with, gradually increased to 5
to 20 drops.
DANDRUFF. — A scaly or scurfy condition of the skin, with more or less
of irritation. It is really a shedding of the scaly epidermis brought on
by injudicious feeding or want of exercise as a primary cause. The
dog, in cases of this kind, needs cooling medicines, such as small doses
of the nitrate and chlorates of potash, perhaps less food. Bowels
to be seen to by giving plenty of green food, with a morsel of sheep's
melt or raw liver occasionally. Wash about once in three weeks, a
very little borax in the last water, say a drachm to a gallon. Use
mild soap. Never use a very hard brush or sharp comb. Tar soap
(Wright's) may be tried.
PARASITES—INTERNAL.
Worms.
We have, roughly speaking, two kinds of worms to treat in the dog :
(1) the round, and (2) the tape.
(1) Round-worms — They are in shape and size not unlike the garden
worm, but harder, pale, and pointed.
Symptoms — Sometimes these are alarming, for the worm itself
is occasionally seized with the mania for foreign travel, and finds its
way into the throat or nostrils, causing the dog to become perfectly
furious, and inducing such pain and agony that it may seem charity to
end its life. The worms may also crawl into the stomach, and give rise
to great irritation, but are usually dislodged therefrom by the violence
accompanying the act of vomiting.
AILMENTS AND THEIR TREATMENT 335
Their usual habitat, however, is the small intestines, where they
occasion great distress to their host. The appetite is always depraved
and voracious. At times there is colic, with sickness and perhaps
vomiting, and the bowels are alternately constipated or loose. The
coat is harsh and staring, there usually is short, dry cough from reflex
irritation of the bronchial mucous membrane, a bad-smelling breath
and emaciation or at least considerable poverty of flesh.
The disease is most common in puppies and in young dogs. The
appearance of the ascaris in the dog's stools is, of course, the diagnostic
symptom.
Treatment — I have cured many cases with santonin and areca-nut
powder (betel-nut), dose 10 grains to 2 drachms ; or turpentine, dose
from 10 drops to 1$ drachms, beaten up with yolk of egg.
But areca-nut does better for tape-worm, so we cannot do better
than trust to pure santonin. The dose is from 1 grain for a Toy up to
6 grains for a Mastiff. Mix it with a little butter, and stick it well back
in the roof of the dog's mouth. He must have fasted previously for
twelve hours, and had a dose of castor oil the day before. In four
or five hours after he has swallowed the santonin, let him have a
dose of either olive oil or decoction of aloes. Dose, 2 drachms to 2
ounces or more. Repeat the treatment in five days. Spratts' cure
may be safely depended on for worms.*
The perfect cleanliness of the kennel is of paramount importance.
The animal's general health requires looking after, and he may be
brought once more into good condition by proper food and a course
of vegetable tonics. If wanted in show condition we have Plasmon to
fall back upon, and Burroughs and Wellcome's extract of malt.
There is a round-worm which at times infests the dog's bladder, and
may cause occlusion of the urethra ; a whip-worm inhabiting the
caecum ; another may occupy a position in the mucous membrane of
the stomach ; some infest the blood, and others the eye.
(2) Tape-worms — There are several kinds, but the treatment is the
same in all cases. The commonest in the country is the Cucumerine.
This is a tape-worm of about fifteen inches in average length,
although I have taken them from Newfoundland pups fully thirty
inches long. It is a semi-tansparent entozoon ; each segment is long
compared to its breadth, and narrowed at both ends. _ Each joint
has, when detached, an independent sexual existence.
The dog often becomes infested with this parasite from eating sheeps'
brains, and dogs thus afflicted and allowed to roam at pleasure over
fields and hills where sheep are fed sow the seeds of gid in our flocks
to any extent. We know too well the great use of Collie dogs to the
shepherd or grazier to advise that dogs should not be employed as
assistants, but surely it would be to their owners' advantage to see
that they were kept in a state of health and cleanliness.
Treatment — We ought to endeavour to prevent as well as to cure.
We should never allow our dogs to eat the entrails of hares or rabbits.
Never allow them to be fed on raw sheep's intestines, nor the brains
of sheep. Never permit them to lounge around butchers' shops, nor
* Many dog owners swear by the preparation called Ruby, which can be
recommended as a cure for worms. — ED.
336 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
eat offal of any kind. Let their food be well cooked, and their skins
and kennels kept scrupulously clean. Dogs that are used for sheep
and cattle ought, twice a year at least, to go under treatment for the
expulsion of worms, whether they are infested or not ; an anthelmintic
would make sure, and could hardly hurt them.
For the expulsion of tape-worms we depend mostly on areca-nut.
In order that the tape-worm should receive the full benefit of the
remedy, we order a dose of castor oil the day before in the morning,
and recommend no food to be given that day except beef-tea or mutton
broth. The bowels are thus empty next morning, so that the parasite
cannot shelter itself anywhere, and is therefore sure to be acted on.
Infusion of cusco is sometimes used as an anthelmintic, so is worm-
wood, and the liquid extract of male fern, and in America spigelia root
and pumpkin seeds.
The best tonic to give in cases of worms is the extract of quassia.
Extract of quassia, 1 to 10 grains ; extract of hyoscyamus, t to 5
grains. To make one pill. Thrice daily.
PARASITES.— EXTERNAL.
Fleas.
Washing with Spratts' medicated soap. Extra clean kennels.
Dusting with Keating, and afterwards washing. This may not kill the
fleas, but it drives them off. Take the dog on the grass while dusting,
and begin along the spine. Never do it in the house.
Ticks.
I have noticed these disagreeable bloodsuckers only on the heads and
bodies of sporting or Collie dogs, who had been boring for some time
through coverts and thickets. They soon make themselves visible,
as the body swells up with the blood they suck until they resemble
small soft warts about as big as a pea. They belong to the natural
family, Jxodiadae.
Treatment — If not very numerous they should be cut off, and the
part touched with a little turps. The sulphuret of calcium will also
kill them, so will the more dangerous white precipitate, or even a strong
solution of carbolic acid, which must be used sparingly, however.
Lice.
The lice are hatched from nits, which we find clinging in rows, and
very tenaciously too, to the hairs. The insects themselves are more
difficult to find, but they are on puppies sometimes in thousands. To
destroy them I have tried several plans. Oil is very effectual, and has
safety to recommend it. Common sweet oil is as good a cure as any,
and you may add a little oil of anise and some sublimed sulphur, which
will increase the effect. Quassia water may be used to damp the coat.
The matted portions of a long-haired dog's coat must be cut off with
scissors, for there the lice often lurk. The oil dressing will not kill the
nits, so that vinegar must be used. After a few days the dressing
must be repeated, and so on three or four times. To do any good, the
whole of the dog's coat must be drenched in oil, and the dog washed
with good dog soap and warm water twelve hours afterwards.
CHAPTER LIT
THE DOG AND THE LAW
PRIVILEGES OF FIRST BITE
IT is popularly, but rather erroneously, supposed that every
dog is entitled to one bite. Perhaps it would be more accurate
to state that every dog may with impunity have one snap or
one intended bite, but only dogs of hitherto irreproachable
character are permitted the honour of a genuine tasteful bite.
Once a dog, however, has displayed dangerous propensities,
even though he has never had the satisfaction of effecting an
actual bite, and once his owner or the person who harbours
him becomes aware of these evil inclinations (scienter) either
of his own knowledge or by notice, the Law looks upon such
dog as a dangerous beast which the owner keeps at his peril.
The onus of proof is on the victim to show that the owner
had previous knowledge of the animal's ferocity, though in
reality very little evidence of scienter is as a rule required,
and notice need not necessarily be given directly to the owner,
but to any person who has charge of the dog.
The person attacked has yet another remedy. He can, if
he is able, kill the dog before it can bite him, but he is not
justified in shooting the animal as it runs away, even after
being bitten.
By 28 and 29 Viet., c. 60, the owner of a dog which attacks
sheep or cattle — and cattle includes horses — is responsible for
all damage, and there is no necessity to prove previous evil
propensities. This Act is wholly repealed by the Act called
the Dogs' Act, 1906, which came into force on January ist,
1907, but the new Act re-enacts the section having reference
to damage to cattle, and says that in such cases it is not
w 337
338 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM.
necessary for the persons claiming damages to show a previous
mischievous propensity in the dog or the owner's knowledge
of such previous propensity or to show that the injury was
attributable to neglect on the part of the owner ; the word
" cattle " includes horses, asses, sheep, goats, and swine.
The Law looks upon fighting between dogs as a natural
and necessary incident in the career of every member of the
canine race, and gives no redress to the owner of the vanquished
animal, provided the fight was a fair one, and the contestants
appear to consider it so. The owner, however, of a peaceably
disposed dog which is attacked and injured, or killed, by one
savage and unrestrained, has a right of action against the
owner of the latter. The owner of the peaceably disposed
animal may justifiably kill the savage brute in order to save
his dog, but he must run the risk of being able to prove that
this was the only means of putting a stop to the fight.
LICENCES
Every dog owner must annually take out a licence for each
dog he keeps. The licence, which is obtainable at all post-
offices at the cost of 75. 6d., is dated to run from the hour
it is taken out until the following 3ist December. The
person in whose custody or upon whose premises the dog is
found will be deemed its owner until proved otherwise.
The owners of certain dogs for certain purposes are, however,
exempted from taking out licences, viz. : (i) Dogs under the
age of six months ; (2) hounds under twelve months old neither
used nor hunted with the pack, provided that the Master has
taken out proper licences for all hounds entered in the pack ;
(3) one dog kept and used by a blind person solely for his or
her guidance ; (4) dogs kept and used solely for the purpose of
tending sheep or cattle or in the exercise of the occupation
or calling of a shepherd.
MUZZLING REGULATIONS
Under the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Acts, 1878-1894,
local authorities (i.e., county, borough, or district councils)
THE DOG AND THE LAW 339
were empowered to issue orders regulating the muzzling of
dogs in public places and the keeping of dogs under control
(otherwise than by muzzling) . Offenders under these Acts are
liable to a fine not exceeding £20.
The Statute 57 and 58 Viet., c. 57, gives the Board of
Agriculture power to make orders for muzzling dogs, keeping
them under control, and the detention and disposal of stray
dogs ; and section 2 of the Dogs Act, 1906 (known by some
as the Curfew Bell Act), says that the Diseases of Animals
Act, 1894, shall have effect :
(a) For prescribing and regulating the wearing by dogs
while in a highway or in a place of public resort of a collar
with the name and address of the owner inscribed on the
collar or on a plate or badge attached thereto :
(b) With a view to the prevention of worrying of cattle
for preventing dogs or any class of dogs from straying during
all or any of the hours between sunset and sunrise.
STRAY DOGS
The Dogs Act, 1906, has some important sections dealing
with seizure of stray dogs, and enacts that where a police
officer has reason to believe that any dog found in a highway
or place of public resort is a stray dog, he may seize and
retain it until the owner has claimed it and paid all expenses
incurred by reason of its detention. If the dog so seized wears
a collar on which is the address of any person, or if the owner
of the dog is known, then the chief officer of police or some
person authorised by him in that behalf shall serve on either
such person a notice in writing stating that the dog has been
seized, and will be sold or destroyed if not claimed within seven
clear days of the service of the notice.
Failing the owner putting in an appearance and paying all
expenses of detention within the seven clear days, then the
chief officer of police or any person authorised by him may
cause the dog to be sold, or destroyed in a manner to cause as
340 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM
little pain as possible. The police must keep a proper register
of all dogs seized, and every such register shall be open to
inspection at all reasonable times by any member of the
public on payment of a fee of one shilling, and the police may
transfer such dog to any establishment for the reception of
stray dogs, but only if there is a proper register kept at such
establishment open to inspection by the public on payment
of a fee not exceeding one shilling.
Another section enacts that any person who takes possession
of a stray dog shall forthwith either return the dog to
its owner or give notice in writing to the chief officer of
police of the district where the dog was found, contain-
ing a description of the dog and stating the place where
the dog was found, and the place where he is being detained,
and any person failing to comply with the provisions of this
section shall be liable on conviction under the Summary
Jurisdiction Acts to a fine not exceeding forty shillings.
IMPORTATION OF DOGS
The power of making Orders dealing with the importation of
dogs is vested in the Board of Agriculture, who have absolute
authority in the matter.
The initial step to be taken by a person wishing to import
any dog into Great Britain from any other country excepting
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, is that he
must fill up an application form to the said Board, which he
has previously obtained from them, in which he applies for a
licence to land the dog under the conditions imposed by the
Board, which he undertakes to obey.
On the form he has to give a full description of the dog, the
name and address of the owner, the proposed port of landing,
and the approximate date of landing, and further from
lists which he will receive from the Board he must select
the carrying agents he proposes should superintend the
movement of the dog from the port of landing to the
place of detention, and also the premises of a veterinary
THE DOG AND THE LAW 341
surgeon on which he proposes the dog shall be detained and
isolated as required by the Order. An imported dog must
be landed and taken to its place of detention in a suitable
box, hamper, crate or other receptacle, and as a general rule
has to remain entirely isolated for a period of six months.
MOTOR CARS AND DOGS
Unquestionably the greatest enemy that the dog possesses
at the present time is the motor car.
Presuming the owner of the dog is fortunate enough to
know whose car it was that ran over his dog, and to have some
evidence of excessive or unreasonable speed or other negligence
on the part of the car driver at the time of the accident, he
will find the law ever ready to assist him. A dog has every bit
as much right to the high road as a motor car. Efforts have
been made on the part of motor owners to get the Courts to
hold that dogs on a high road are only under proper control
if on a " lead," and that if they are not on a " lead " the
owner of them is guilty of negligence in allowing his dog to
stroll about, and therefore is not entitled to recover : such
efforts have not been successful. Even supposing a Court
to hold that the fact of a dog being loose in this way or unac-
companied was evidence of negligence against his owner this
would by no means defeat his owner's claim, for the law is,
that though a plaintiff may have been negligent in some such
way as this, yet if the defendant could, by the exercise of
reasonable care, have avoided the accident, the plaintiff
can still recover. There are several cases that decide this
valuable principle.
INDEX
AIREDALE TERRIER ...
PACK
... 219
DACHSHUND
PACE
... I76
Assyrian Sculpture and
Dog 2, 108
Dalmatian
... 49
Mastiff ... „.
... 3* 10
Dandie Dinmont
... 25^
Deerhound
QC
BASSET-HOUND
... 172
Diarrhoea
:7J
329
Beagle
124.
TN* A
J :7
Bedl in gton Terrier ...
... 226
Distemper
». 325
Bible, Dog in The ...
... 3, 108
ENGLISH TERRIER, White
191
Black and Tan Terrier
Blenheim Spaniel
Bloodhound
••• 195
... 280
80
English Water Spaniel
Egypt, Dog in
.» 153
2, 108
Borzoi ...
. . IOI
TTtr I? T^I vr*
-> T ~
i ttttDirto ••• •••
3*5
Breeding :
Field Spaniel
». 159
Bulldog
Newfoundland
25
... 42
First Bite, Privileges of
Fits
••• 337
Borzoi
104, 106
Fleas
n6
Dachshund
Smooth Fox-terrier
179
211
Fox as progenitor of the
Dog 5
Dandie Dinmont ...
257
Foxhound
... 118
King Charles Spaniel
General Notes
... 285
... 316
Fox-terrier, Smooth ...
Wire-hair
... 203
212
Bronchitis
... 328
Brussels Griffon
... 301
GREAT DANE
44
Bulldog
17
Greeks, Dogs and Ancient,
3, 108, 271
Miniature
29
Greyhound
... 108
French ...
30
Italian
307
Bull-terrier
... 199
Toy
... 306
HARRIER
... 123
CHOW CHOW
... 67
IMPORTATION OF DOGS
... 340
Clumber Spaniel
... 154
Irish Terrier
... 229
Clydesdale Terrier ...
... 264
Irish Water Spaniel ...
... 150
Cocker Spaniel
... 167
Italian Greyhound ...
... 307
Collie
S^
Constipation ...
••• 330
JACKAL AS PROGENITOR OF
DOG 5
Coursing
... 109
Japanese Spaniel
... 292
342
INDEX
343
PAGE
KENNELS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT 313
King Charles Spaniel
... 278
LABRADOR, THE
140, 146
Law, Dog and the ...
337
Licences
... 338
MALTESE DOG
296
Manchester Terrier ...
195
Miniature
3°5
Mange...
Mastiff, Assyrian
J33
... 3, 10
English ... ... —
10
Miniature Breeds :
Bulldog
French Bulldog
Poodle
29
30
7c
Pomeranian
/ o
277
Black and Tan Terrier
/ /
^O^
Toy Bull-terrier ...
Italian Greyhound
«J +J
306
3O7
Shetland Sheepdog
«J /
... 308
Motor Cars and Dogs
341
Muzzling Regulations
••• 339
NEWFOUNDLAND
... 38
ORIGIN OF THE DOG ...
I
Otterhound
86
PEKINESE
... 288
Phoenicians, and Dogs
3
Pointer
127
Pomeranian
... 271
Poodle
70
— Toy White
75
Primitive Man and Dog
i
Pug
Puppies, Treatment of:
290
Mastiff
IA
Bulldog
... It
Newfoundland
41
Great Dane
1 J
4S
Old English Sheepdog
T-J
... 64
fj
Puppies, Treatment of— continued :
Borzoi
Dachshund
King Charles Spaniel
Pekinese
Brussels Griffon ...
General Notes
RETRIEVER, Flat-Coated
Curly
Rome, Dogs and Ancient
SAMOYEDE ..;
Schipperke
Scottish Terrier
Setter, English
Irish
Black and Tan
Sheepdog, Old English
Shetland Sheepdog...
Skin Diseases
Skye Terrier
Spaniel Family, The
Spaniel, Irish Water...
English
Clumber
Sussex
Field
English Springer
Welsh Springer
Cocker
King Charles ...
Springer, English
Welsh
St. Bernard
Stray Dogs
Sussex Spaniel
TERRIER, Old Working
White English...
Black and Tan
Bull-
Smooth Fox- ...
Wire-hair Fox-
Airedale...
Bedlington
73
105
294
302
321
139
144
3
271
77
240
13*
J34
136
60
308
33i
258
148
150
153
'54
156
159
164
165
32
339
156
191
195
199
203
212
219
226
344
INDEX
Terrier, Irish
Welsh .;
Scottish
West Highland White
Dandie Dinmont
Skye, and Clydesdale
Yorkshire ... '...,
Toy Dogs:
Pomeranian ...
Poodle, White
King Charles Spaniel
Pekinese and Japanese ...
Maltese and Pug
Brussels Griffon
PACK
229
236
240
246
253
258
266
271
75
278
289
296
301
Toy Dogs — continued :
Miniature Black and Tan,
Bull-terrier, Italian Grey-
hound and Shetland
Sheepdog
305
WATERLOO CUP ... ... 109
Welsh Terrier 236
West Highland White Terrier 246
Whippet 113
Wolf as progenitor of Dog 5, 6
Wolfhound, Irish 90
Russian (Borzoi) ... 101
Worms, Treatment for ... 334
YORKSHIRE TERRIER 266
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